


She'll Rescue Herself

by morehipsterthan



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Aqua (Kingdom Hearts) is a Badass, Battle Scenes, Because Aqua deserves better, Darkness, Fix-It of Sorts, Flashbacks, Gen, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plotted Before Re:Mind, Realm of Darkness (Kingdom Hearts), Set during KH3 but diverges, Wayfinder Trio Flashbacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2020-04-12 02:32:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 121,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19122790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morehipsterthan/pseuds/morehipsterthan
Summary: "Where's your Keyblade?" it mocked.She stood, clenching her fists, ready to spring into action. “Don’t need it."__________As she waits for Mickey to rescue her, a familiar face picks a fight. Aqua decides it's time to fight back. Her journey out of the Realm of Darkness back to the Realm of Light changes everything.Aqua-centric, canon divergent, and rewrites the events of KH3.





	1. Don't Need It

**_Part One: The Realm of Darkness_ **

How long had it been since she had seen the King?  
  
Aqua stared out over the dark waters, listening to the sound of the waves lapping at the shoreline. Despite the horrors of this realm, sitting here on the shore, listening to the waves…it was almost peaceful. Tranquil, even. If she had first set foot on these shores when she fell to this place all those years ago, she might have let her guard down, might even have relaxed. But she had been here far too long. She couldn’t dare relax. She had trained her body to constantly be on the verge of defending herself, constantly ready to attack.  
  
Attacking. It was a hopeless thought. She had lost her Keyblade after she had fought the Demon Tide to protect the King and Riku. How long ago had that been? It didn’t feel too far removed, but that didn’t matter – each step she took might be an entire day in the Realm of Light. Without any sign of the sun to tell when the day ended and night began, Aqua had long since stopped trying to tell time. It was hopeless. For all she knew, another ten years had passed in the time that she had seen the King.  
  
_It couldn’t have,_ she told herself. _Mickey knows I’m here. He would’ve come back for me by now._  
  
Unless…  
  
No, she couldn’t let herself think like that. Thoughts like that invited the darkness in, and the darkness invited the Heartless. She might be able to use her skills as a mage to defend herself, but without a Keyblade, there was no telling how long she would last in a fight. She couldn’t allow herself to fall to darkness, not when people were looking for her. And it wasn’t just the King. If what the man sitting next to her had said was true, that boy she had met on the Destiny Islands was out there looking for her, too.  
  
_Sora_. Even though it had been at least ten years in the Realm of Light, the memory of the boy was still fresh in her mind. She could see his face clearly, and his eyes – so like Ven’s! His heart was warm, just like his friend’s – Riku’s. And Aqua had come close to meeting them again, just recently. Or maybe it wasn’t so recently. She had been with the King, had come so close to being freed from this eternal darkness, but…she had made a choice. Made the only choice she ever would have made: to sacrifice herself to keep the Realm of Light safe. And, according to her new companion, it was the right choice. The Realm of Light was safe. Mickey, Riku, and Sora had closed the door.  
  
_Then where are they?_  
  
Aqua drew in a shaky breath, clutching her knees as her body tensed. She had managed to keep these thoughts at bay for some time now, but clearly, they were coming back with a vengeance. Ever since she had seen the King, hope had surged through her, lit her way here through the dark to this shore, warded off the fears she once felt. And then she had met this man. Though she had no idea who he was, couldn’t see any more of his face beyond the amber eyes and blonde beard, his voice sent warmth running through her veins. He was a comforting presence – anyone was in this dark place.  
  
And it wasn’t just him. She could still sense Ven and Terra’s lights, faint as they were. Seeing Terra had been a comfort, talking to him a blessing – but it was also the most terrifying thing she had seen. That man…that thing was still controlling Terra’s body. He had to be. And Aqua, for all her attempts to defeat him in Radiant Garden, had failed. She knew that. She may have defeated him in battle, but it was he who walked in the Realm of Light while she was down here, waiting to be rescued. She hadn’t dared ask the man about Terra, and even if she had, it wasn’t like he would know. His memories were gone. He couldn’t even remember his own name – how would he know Terra’s?  
  
“Tell me, will you stay here?”  
  
It was still shocking to Aqua to hear a human voice cut through the silence of the darkness, even more jarring to hear a voice filled with such warmth. He had last spoken several hours ago – or had it been days? Maybe even mere minutes…He had last spoken about Sora, had told her all about the boy’s deeds. But now, he was asking about her plans.  
  
What was her plan? Since she had seen the King, she had let herself dream of what she would do when she returned to the Realm of Light. First, she would find Master Eraqus’s Keyblade. It must have vanished from this place after she had lost hers, otherwise it would have remained tied to her heart. She had tried summoning it, letting herself hope just a bit that it might even have been Stormfall that appeared in her hand, but had only been met with disappointment. Regardless, she needed Master Defender.  
  
What then? That was obvious. She would have Mickey take her to the Land of Departure so she could unseal the World and save Ven. Part one of that plan was easy enough, but the second part…Aqua had no idea how to bring Ven’s heart back. But, surely the King would have discovered something by now? Or perhaps even Master Yen Sid. They had had more than a decade to consider it. Aqua cursed herself – she should have traded Keyblades with the King when she had a chance. He could’ve taken the Keyblade, gone to the Land of Departure, and awoken Ven. Then, at least, he would be alive again.  
  
Whatever the case, she would find Ven, heart or no heart. Then she would find Terra. Again, though, that was just a dream. Where could he be? The last place she had seen him was Radiant Garden, so that would be where she would start. By now, though, he could have long since left the world. And if that man – no, that _thing_ , she wouldn’t give it the dignity of personhood – was still in control of Terra’s body, she had no idea how to stop it. Fighting it wasn’t enough, clearly.  
  
It wasn’t just Ven and Terra anymore, she told herself. Mickey, Riku, and Sora – they would help her. All they had to do was find her.  
  
But, she had been in one place too long. Something about these shores was comforting, but what if it was a trap? What if those waters were hiding something? Aqua had met many a Heartless hidden in plain sight, had fought them off, had nearly lost her life more times than she could count. She had learned to keep moving – staying in the same place was dangerous. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was where she needed to be, that somehow, some way, this would be where they would find her.  
  
Aqua breathed in, smelling the air around her. She could smell the salt from the sea and, again, entertained the fantasy that this was just another beach, that it was just nighttime in the Realm of Light, and she was out here watching the stars. If she let herself believe even further, she might even convince herself that she had been here before…  
  
Maybe she had.  
  
“I can’t shake the feeling that these waters touch another shore I’ve visited,” she said. She hadn’t intended it, but those were the words that left her lips. Now that she thought about it, it was true. The familiarity of this shore, the smell of the sea and the salt – it was all too familiar. Almost the same as –  
  
“The Destiny Islands.”  
  
Aqua gasped. Yes, that was it – the Destiny Islands! She had been there. Could it be true that these waters connected the two worlds? She dove into the fantasy further, imagining the islands out there across the sea. She could see them now – the warm glow of the sunset, the sway of the palm trees, the laughter of Sora and Riku as they raced across the beach.  
  
Could it really be that close?  
  
“You’ve heard of them?” Aqua asked. Perhaps the man would know a way out of this darkness after all.  
  
He nodded. “Yes, they are quite lovely – a far cry from this wasteland.”  
  
He shifted, the black coat he wore creasing as he did so. Aqua made a mental note to ask about the coat later – assuming _he_ knew why he wore it. Something about it nagged at her. Had she seen it before? She didn’t think so, but this realm had affected her memory before. Maybe that was what was happening with this feeling that she had been to this beach before, that it was somehow connected to the Destiny Islands…  
  
She wanted to ask the man how he knew about the Destiny Islands, if he knew how to get there from here. If he did, though, he would’ve said something. Surely if there was a way out of this realm from this beach, he would have told her about it by now. Yet the way he had asked if she would stay here...Something about it told Aqua that he knew more than he let on. _Maybe he’s trying to remember the details,_ she told herself. At the same time, she began to steel herself, began to create a distance between herself and the man.  
  
If he was lying to her – if he was manipulating her…She wouldn’t let herself be played.  
  
Not like Terra had been.  
  
_Stop it_. This was ridiculous – and it was exactly what this realm wanted. Mistrust led to hate, and hate was the key to unlocking the darkness in her heart. The man hadn’t given her a reason to outright mistrust him, and if he was going to harm her, he would have. He had said his memory was damaged. His words must just be a result of his subconscious, knowledge that came from deep within his heart yet locked away from his mind.  
  
Aqua let out a sigh. She had certainly flirted with several negative emotions in her years in the Realm of Darkness – anger, sadness, fear, rage, hopelessness. There were more than she could name. But paranoia was a new one. She had thought she had felt it before, the feeling of constantly being watched, but the Heartless were always watching. That wasn’t paranoia; that was a survival instinct. This was new. This feeling of doubting the one connection to the Realm of Light that was available to her…No, she couldn’t feed into it. She had to trust this man. Even if she was wrong to trust him.  
  
He could do no worse to her than the darkness already had.  
  
As the silence stretched between them, Aqua realized that she had yet to answer the man’s original question. Would she stay here? She wasn’t aware the option was open to her. No, she realized, the question wasn’t about if she would stay in the Realm of Darkness. The man knew she wanted nothing more than to leave – who wouldn’t? The question was if she would continue waiting here, at these shores. Mickey was on his way, and Riku and Sora, too. If she stayed here, they would find her. Mickey had told her some time ago that he had found her by following his heart to her in the Realm of Darkness. If she stayed here and kept hoping, he would find her heart in the darkness again. If the beach was connected to the Destiny Islands somehow, it must be significant. They would find their way here.  
  
But, if she moved from this beach, she would be safer. Even if it was peaceful now, it was only a matter of time before the Heartless found them. What kind of monster might be waiting for her now, watching her from the shadows? She had gained more scars than she could count, her cure magic only managing to stop the bleeding. If she slept, no doubt the nightmares would be about the claws grasping at her in the dark, dragging across her skin, trying to break open her body to tear out her heart. The thought was terrifying enough. She had to move.  
  
But if she moved, she risked Mickey losing her again. Was time moving differently than she had thought? Maybe it was now the Realm of Darkness that was moving faster than the Realm of Light. Perhaps it had only been hours since Mickey had found her and had fought alongside her once more. Perhaps all this time that had passed for her had been mere minutes in the Realm of Light. When Mickey returned, he would follow his heart back to her. So would Sora and Riku. And so would Terra and Ven.  
  
So long as she held out hope, the light would continue burning in her heart, guiding her friends to find her. She knew her answer.  
  
“I’m staying,” she said, finally. “Someone will come for me.”  
  
The man made a quiet sound of agreement, nodding again. “These waters are the in-between of dark and light, its shores the margins of day and night.” He gazed out over the water, and Aqua again looked at him, studying the profile of his face from underneath the hood. “They brought you and I together, so why not also you and another?”  
  
Aqua smiled. So she was right. This beach was the connection to the outside world – and they would find her here. “Yes,” she agreed, returning her gaze back to the sea. The feelings of paranoia, of despair, of hopelessness disappeared, as she embraced the warmth of the hope. Mickey was coming to find her. She just had to wait.  
  
“Where did you get that coat?” she asked, not wanting to leave herself to her thoughts again. Conversation would keep the doubt from creeping back in. “I feel like I’ve seen it before.”  
  
He laughed. “I wish I knew, but I, too, feel as though I’ve encountered a similar outfit on another.”  
  
She smiled. When they returned to the Realm of Light – after she rescued Terra and Ven – she would be sure to visit this man, once he had his memories back. He must have millions of stories. How silly of her to doubt him – he radiated warmth. How he reminded her of her old Master. She thought back to the times when the Master had dropped his guard and been more father than teacher to her, Terra, and Ven. Those days, it had felt like light itself was embracing her. _This man must be missed by so many,_ she thought. Such a warm soul, such light in his heart. Perhaps she could encourage his memories to return.  
  
“Tell me,” she asked. “Does the name Eraqus remind you of anyone?”  
  
He shook his head. “I can’t say I’ve heard the name before.”  
  
“What about the name Terra?”  
  
“I’m afraid not.”  
  
“Ven? Or maybe you knew him as Ventus?”  
  
“I’m sorry to disappoint you – ”  
  
“It’s fine,” she said quickly, holding out her hand and placing it on his arm. He turned his head toward her, and she caught sight of his amber eyes. These were a different shade than the ones she had seen before. Whereas those eyes had been devoid of feeling, warmth and kindness flowed through those eyes, though, as Aqua looked closer, she could sense uncertainty and…yes, regret. She felt sympathy for him; she had plenty of regrets too. But, eyes that could fill with regret were eyes that knew the error of their ways, eyes that were human. Completely different from the eyes of Xehanort.  
  
She blinked. Was it worth it? She bit her lip, uncertain if she should dare speak the name that had caused her so much pain. Yet if she didn't...  
  
“What about the name Xehanort?”  
  
She heard the man’s breath hitch, his body tense at the mere sound of the word. His muscles contracted, and his heartbeat raced. She opened her mouth, an apology springing to her lips. _He knows him,_ she realized. _And he knows the horror he’s done._  
  
But then –  
  
The sound of footsteps, of boots against the hard sand. Aqua spun to her feet, her hands instinctively trying to summon a Keyblade that wouldn’t come. Her heart had dropped to her stomach, the hairs on her skin standing up straight, as if lightning had just struck inches away from her. This wasn’t her rescue, she knew that much. She thanked her training; her body was already reacting before her mind had even registered the danger. She began centering her mana, readying herself to cast whatever spell she might need. She might not be as strong without a Keyblade, but she could still cause damage, and if it came to it, she could fight without magic.  
  
Those had been her least favorite training sessions, when she had had to fight without a Keyblade, even after learning to wield it properly. It had been one of Master Eraqus’s favorite lessons to teach. “You cannot always rely on your strengths,” he had said. “There will come a time when you cannot use them, or your opponent can undermine them.”  
  
Aqua had always been naturally inclined to magic, so she frequently ended up on the ground when Master Eraqus, Terra, or Ven sparred with her when she was forbidden from using it. She remembered the embarrassment it caused, how she felt like such a silly girl for even trying to overpower or out speed the other three. But, slowly, she had learned to watch for weaknesses. Had learned that Terra left his sides open, that Ven, for all his speed, was sloppy in his strikes, that even Master Eraqus had a blind spot. A weakness could become a target, and even the lightest hit could turn the fight into her favor.  
  
She may have hated those days, but how grateful she was now for Master Eraqus’s training. Aqua clenched her fists, breathing deeply to steady her body. She would need all the strength she could get. “Who’s there?” she called, glad that her voice rang through the darkness with the authority she intended.  
  
More footsteps. A figure appeared in the shadows, approaching them. Was it a Heartless? It reeked of darkness, whatever it was. But it was moving too slowly – the Heartless she had battled had always run after her, moving on instinct, wild, out of control, after her heart. Whatever this was, it had agency, could think, could do more than just mindlessly gather hearts for itself.  
  
It moved closer, and Aqua’s mind ran through what spells she could cast. Was she strong enough to attempt time magic without her Keyblade? What of trinity magic? She could end the fight quickly. Certainly, she could cast elemental magic, heal herself if needed, maybe even set a mine shield for defense. She glanced over at the man – he, too, had risen to his feet. Did he have a weapon? Some sort of knife, a club, anything.  
  
The figure came through the darkness, and Aqua gasped.  
  
“You!” The man growled.  
  
It was him! No, wait – was it? His eyes were the same, his skin the same – but his hair…No, it was only a cosmetic difference, she was sure of it. And the color was the exact same. This was the thing she had fought in Radiant Garden, the thing that had been possessing Terra. She could still sense Terra in that one, though, could feel his light struggling to hold on. This one, though…there was no light in this heart. This thing – whatever it was, whoever it might have been – was darkness incarnate.  
  
_Terra._  
  
The thing’s eyes took in the scene before it, seemingly unsurprised to have run into these two people in such a place. It stared at Aqua for a moment, registering her presence; she refused to look into its eyes. It turned its gaze instead to the man. “Master,” it said, its voice deep, filling Aqua with hatred. “I must have a word with you.”  
  
“‘Master.’” The word dripped with vitriol, the hatred lingering in the air between them. “So now you mock me.” Were his memories returning? They had to be. She would ask him about it after she sent this monster back into the shadows. It was wearing the same coat the man was, but its hood was pulled back, its white hair shining through the shadows. How ironic that such a pure color was on a being of such pure darkness.  
  
It spoke again. “Do you recall those experiments of the heart you bade me cease?” It moved closer; Aqua began her analysis, looking for a weakness, an opening. _Wait for him to make the first attack._ She couldn’t tell its strength, and without a Keyblade, she couldn’t risk it. She would have to wait for it to make a mistake.  
  
“Among the test subjects was a girl,” it continued. “She had lost her memory, just as I had.”  
  
A girl? _Focus! You can worry about it after._  
  
“But…” It moved closer again, moving towards the man. “You can reconstruct memories. You did with Sora. I believe you have seen the girl’s memories.”  
  
“What is your question?” The man asked. How quickly the warmth had disappeared from his voice; anger filled it, anger fueling a certain kind of authority, one that guaranteed retribution for daring to speak to him.  
  
“Where did you put the girl?”  
  
“What girl?” _He doesn’t know what it’s talking about,_ Aqua realized. He might have been lying, but she doubted it. Something in his voice suggested he would rather take the opportunity to mock this thing rather than feign ignorance.  
  
It waited, but when no answer came, it stepped closer. “Very well. If you won’t tell me here -”  
  
Aqua made her move just as it reached out, her instinct to protect her one physical connection to the Realm of Light directing her to step in front of her companion as it made to grab him. She swatted its arm away as she began to solidify the mana around her, gazing up into its eyes, daring it to come closer. Her blood was rushing; she felt powerful. _I beat you once,_ she thought. _And I’ve had ten years to train for this moment._  
  
She could defeat it.  
  
She would defeat it.  
  
She had no choice.  
  
“I think,” she growled, shocking herself with the danger seeping from her voice, “you should go.”  
  
It looked upon her quizzically, a wicked smile spreading across its lips. “A lost guardian of light?” He taunted. “Hm. You wait here…for the King and his fool.”  
  
Aqua realized too late that it wasn’t a question. Suddenly, the darkness gathered behind him, taking on the form of the same monster that had appeared when she had fought Terra’s body in Radiant Garden. Before she could react, its dark, massive hand swatted her out of the way. She hit the ground hard, skidding across the sand, but endured the hit. She had taken worse.  
  
“Where’s your Keyblade?” it mocked.  
  
Aqua stood, clenching her, ready to spring into action. “Don’t need it,” she answered, unlocking the anger that would help fuel her to fight.  
  
She sprang forward, her speed superhuman. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought of Ven. She disappeared from its gaze, moving too fast for it to follow. Suddenly, she appeared, leaping over its body to attack the monster. She pulled her arm back, the air tightening around her hand, and then let loose, slamming her fist into the monster’s chest. She used the force to propel herself over its head, craning her neck to see what damage she had caused –  
  
Shit! She had been too slow; its hand had wrapped around her leg. It swung her around, turning her upside down, nearly dropping her headfirst onto the ground. Those dark eyes gazed into hers, the evil seeping out of every orifice of its form. _What horrible darkness,_ she thought, wanting to tear her eyes off it. If she kept staring at it, it would certainly take her heart. She couldn’t let it.  
  
“No more!” the man called out, hurrying over to them. “I’ll go.”  
  
It turned towards the man, the monster holding tight to Aqua’s ankle as she struggled to escape its grasp. No, it was too strong – had she even managed to damage it? No, of course not, she realized. This had to be a Heartless – only magic or a Keyblade would cause damage to it now.  
  
Her breath caught. All it would take was a firaga – the monster was too close, had let its guard down, had grabbed her legs but not her hands. A mistake. An opening.  
  
“You are wise,” the Seeker responded. It turned back to Aqua, and just as she was on the verge of summoning a powerful blast of fire, the monster threw her again. She spun through the air, determined to land on her feet this time. She could take a few hits, but any more was risking it – a broken bone could be her death. She maneuvered through the air, managing to land easily on her feet. Her breaths were getting heavier as the rush of the battle focused her vision. The adrenaline pumped through her veins, her heart hammering against the cage that was her chest.  
  
“Poor thing,” it mocked from across the beach. “I mustn’t leave you with nothing.”  
  
_This is bad._ She felt the darkness gathering again, the monster’s hands stretched out in front of it. It was moving fast, but she had seen this before. If it was like her fight with Terra…  
  
She realized, suddenly, that she had miscalculated.  
  
She had an advantage.  
  
It didn’t know she could still cast magic without a Keyblade.  
  
It didn’t know how easy it was for her to block a hit.  
  
Terra had complained once to Master Eraqus about her block during one of their no magic fights. The shield she summoned was almost invisible, only appearing if a hit connected. It kept her from attacking, but it covered her entire body and had the added bonus of repelling damage back to the attacker. “She has to use magic to cause that!” Terra had shouted after being thrown back by the force of his own powerful hit. It had nearly shattered Aqua’s block, but she had kept it together.  
  
“If Aqua does not have to call upon mana to block it, it isn’t magic,” Master Eraqus had responded. She had smirked; this reflect was her secret weapon. It was as automatic as breathing.  
  
The same smirk was on her face as the shield went up around her. She focused the strength toward the front; the dark energy collided with it, then, as if shot out of a gun, was sent flying back towards the Guardian. Aqua knew it would hit. It had been too powerful an attack, sent toward her too fast, and her shield was designed to send any attack back at twice the power and speed.  
  
She heard it gasp in pain and shock – now was her chance! She ran forward, her eyes landing on the Seeker. No use in attacking the guardian unless it attacked her – it was a waste of energy without a Keyblade. Glee rushed through her as the Seeker realized too late that she was headed straight towards it.  
  
She wouldn’t let it get away.  
  
“Deep freeze!” she screamed, finally releasing the mana she had been building up.  
  
It worked perfectly. The temperature around them dropped instantly, ice rising from the ground to encase the Seeker, the look of shock on its face the icing on the cake for Aqua. But, no time to celebrate – she could hear the Guardian moving to protect it.  
  
She had to take the risk. A drawn-out battle would test the limits of Aqua’s magic; one well-timed blast could end it before she gave it the chance to retaliate.  
  
“Stopga!” she yelled.  
  
It was risky. The powerful blizzaga magic had only sapped away some of her energy, but she felt the power of her time magic nearly half her supply. She gasped as the strength left her, suddenly feeling much weaker, but it worked – the Guardian froze in place. She had to move quickly though; with how powerful it was, she might only have a few moments.  
  
She raised her hands, directing them towards the frozen Seeker as she gathered mana. One hand went to her heart, the other falling to her side, the energy of the mana combining with the strength of her heart. “Terra,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she called upon the friends she held safe in her heart. “Ven. We’ll be together. Always.”  
  
Light poured out of her body, engraving a Wayfinder into the ground beneath Aqua. Fire coursed through her veins as she opened her eyes. She could feel the effect of the stop magic fading, could hear the Guardian move again – but she had won. This magic would take the last of her energy, but she could expel this evil back into the dark for good.  
  
The ice shattered, and the Seeker yelled in agony, the light magic piercing through its body. It was thrown from Aqua, landing well across the beach. The Guardian disappeared as the Seeker’s body flew through the air, its hands mere inches from grasping Aqua’s arm. Aqua’s companion stood by, stunned by the display he had just seen.  
  
Aqua, meanwhile, fell to her knees, the effort of casting powerful magic without a Keyblade immediately taking its toll. _I can’t fall asleep here,_ she realized, bracing the rest of her body from hitting the ground with her hands. The exhaustion came even faster than she had expected. She was panting, sweat pouring from her forehead. She coughed and was alarmed to see blood come out. _I overstepped._ She shouldn’t have cast trinity magic without a Keyblade, that much was clear. _Next time I’ll be better._  
  
“Are you okay?” the man asked, the warmth of his voice clashing head-on with the pain screeching in her nerves.  
  
She tried to speak but could only manage more coughs. Panic was beginning to set in now that the adrenaline had left her body. Had she really spent this much energy? It had to be the Realm of Darkness. _I’m so stupid_ , she thought, her mind racing toward regret. What was the point of beating that thing if she was going to end up dead because of it? It was just like when she had sacrificed herself to save Terra. She had saved the man’s life, but what good was that when he was still trapped in this hell?  
  
“Here.”  
  
His hand held her head back and dipped some sort of concoction down her throat. She swallowed. With relief, she realized the man had found one of the elixirs she had managed to salvage in the darkness. She drank the medicine, coughing as the bottle emptied, spluttering on the liquid. The pain faded. She was still exhausted, but she wasn’t in danger anymore. With rest, she would be fine. She wasn’t going to disappear like when she had fought Terra. It hadn’t been in vain.  
  
But.  
  
“We’re not safe here.”  
  
He said it just as she thought it. She nodded, still not quite able to stand. Her body was trembling; she feared what would happen if she even tried to move. “W-we’re not s-s-s-safe anywhere,” she managed, shocked to hear her own voice so weak. She would make sure to teach Ven this lesson about magic use when she trained with him next.  
  
“We must go. He’ll awaken soon.”  
  
She wouldn’t argue with him. Part of her feared that leaving this beach would only prolong her rescue, that Mickey would lose her forever if she moved. But, if she stayed here, she would die. They could come back. Aqua began memorizing how this place felt, the smell of the sea, the salt, the sound of the waves. She felt her companion’s arm reach under her shoulder, felt it try to raise her – but then she heard him gasp, and the darkness sprang to life around them. Something connected with her body, and she was thrown from him. She landed on her back, the breath knocked out of her. Her vision went starry – she couldn’t see, still didn’t have the strength to move. She heard his screams, and then silence.  
  
Then -  
  
“You are far too much trouble,” came the deep voice. “The Heartless can have you.”  
  
“N-no,” she gasped, hearing the rushing darkness. She could feel her energy dissipating as the pain seared through her. She fought to keep her eyes from closing, all her energy going to keeping them open. If she fell asleep her, the darkness would take her, she knew it. She couldn’t let that happen. Not when they were so close. “Wait…” she begged. She heard footsteps, could feel the warmth of the man fading away, but so was the darkness of that thing. _He’s taking him,_ she realized.  
  
She was going to be left alone again.  
  
A tear streamed from her eye as she finally lost the fight. Her vision went dark.  
  
_Terra._  
  
_Ven._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my first fic like...ever...because I've had a lot of emotions since finishing KH3 a month ago. I would literally kill for Aqua, so wanted to write from her perspective, beginning with one of my favorite scenes. Just cause she loses her Keyblade doesn't mean she loses her magic.
> 
> I'm hoping this becomes a longer story - I have some ideas of where to take it, just have to sketch them out. More characters will join in as I figure out where we're going, but the first few chapters will probably be Aqua centric.
> 
> Thoughts, comments, and criticisms are welcome! Just be gentle.


	2. Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua makes her choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a fair warning: angst abounds.

“That’s enough for today.”

The wooden sword Aqua held clattered to the floor. She, however, forced herself to stay standing, ignoring her body’s desperate desire to collapse to the ground like the weapon. She felt disgusting. She didn’t dare picture what she looked like after four hours of sparring; when she returned to her room she would take care to avoid a mirror, not wanting to think of the sight. Her drenched clothes clung to her body, the stench of her sweat assaulting her nose as she stared across from her, meeting Terra’s eyes.

He was daring her to go down first.

She had known the boy all of two months; one week in, she had concluded that she did not like this jerk. What the Master saw in this boy she didn’t know. He was rude, arrogant, self-centered – all things the Master had said led to darkness. Aqua would never tell the Master that, though. She didn’t want to disappoint him. He clearly saw something in Terra, believed in him, thought he would be able to wield the Keyblade. If the Master wanted Terra to be here, then Aqua would have to grow up and deal with it. Or so she told herself. It brought her much more pleasure to imagine the look on Terra’s face when the Master finally threw him out on his ear.

She felt her legs twitch, but she caught herself before she went down, grinding her teeth to make it through the pain. Aqua had been training with the Master for three years now, ever since he had taken her in, yet Terra had beaten her in every single match they had fought since beginning his training. No matter how long they sparred, she had always ended up on the ground, and this newcomer who couldn’t even tell the difference between a potion and an ether had been prancing around like he was king of the castle. He was just too strong for her, and to make matters worse, the Master had forbidden her from fighting him with magic. How was that fair?

Neither apprentice broke eye contact as seconds turned to minutes. Aqua’s gaze shifted into a glare as the two kept up their fight. Not today. Aqua would rather cut off her own arm than let Terra win again. She could see his sweat, see his exhaustion. Today had been different. She had landed more hits today, had dodged more attacks, had blocked what she could. Her skill with the sword was better than his. She moved faster than him. It was just those times when she hadn’t been fast enough, had left an opening, had fallen for his feints. His attacks were brutal. Every time his sword hit her, she nearly went to the ground. Frequently, she hadn’t gotten up again. But not today. She was still standing, and she would stay standing until Terra dropped.

“I said that was enough for today.”

Master Eraqus’s voice was firm; he clearly wasn’t entertaining their game anymore. Aqua didn’t break, though. Her glare only intensified, turning into a sneer as she mentally taunted Terra from across the room. No, she was done being the teacher’s pet. If he wanted to look away first, he was more than welcome to. She was going to win this fight no matter what –

“AQUA!”

She gasped, turning to the Master as the shout rang through the hall. His eyes were furious – furious at _her._ Immediately, she looked down, her face reddening from the shame. Then, the embarrassment turned to anger. _Why is he mad at me? Terra’s right there!_ she thought. Her fists clenched, the exhaustion in her body giving way to rage. She looked up, readying a smart retort for the Master, her face petulant.

Terra collapsed to the ground, the ugly sound of his body colliding with the marble assaulting Aqua’s ears. Her eyes flew over to him, and instantly, anger turned to regret. No, of course. She should have seen it, the way Terra’s speed had dropped over the battle, how he left himself open too many times, how the past few minutes had just been him trying to endure as many hits as he could take. Grimly, she realized she had won this fight a long time ago, well before the Master told them to stop.

Master Eraqus didn’t even look at her as he hurried over to Terra. Aqua, meanwhile, experienced a mixture of shame, concern, and rage. _He doesn’t even have anything to say to you?_ something in her asked. She had finally beaten Terra – where was the Master’s pride? His student had finally shown improvement, finally broken through! She watched as the Master’s hands moved over Terra’s body, his cure magic bringing the student’s strength back slowly. When the boy awoke, the Master whispered something to him. He nodded, his face dark, his eyes glued to the ground. He, too, was clearly embarrassed, although Aqua doubted it was from anything the Master had said. _He’s embarrassed because he lost to me,_ she realized, her lips twitching into a smirk. _Because he lost to a girl._

Master Eraqus turned to face his other pupil. Aqua met his eyes this time, unable to hide the smug expression that had taken over her features. The Master’s eyes narrowed.

“Aqua,” he said firmly. “I trained you better than that.”

Tears began flowing immediately, hot against her skin. In the space of a second, the little victory that she had scored for herself was wiped away, turned to her greatest defeat yet. The disappointment she had caused the master pressed against her like a burning rod, branding her as a failure. The entire world would come to know her as a stupid little girl. Aqua had never felt shame like this before. She looked down, wanting to crawl into a dark corner and hide from the world, anything to avoid enduring the lecture she was about to receive.

 _I don’t deserve this,_ something inside her whispered.

“Stop crying. Look at me when I speak to you.”

Aqua obeyed on instinct, choking down the sobs. The Master walked over, the only sounds in the hall his footsteps against the marble and Terra’s labored breathing from across the room.

“I told you to stop. You disobeyed me.”

She didn’t respond. She kept her eyes focused on the Master’s forehead, refusing to meet his eyes, not wanting to see the anger and disappointment in them.

“Do you have nothing to say to me?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” she whispered shakily.

“When did you win this fight?” he asked.  
  
“Thirty minutes ago,” she muttered, wanting nothing more than to lower her eyes.  
  
“Why did you keep attacking, then?”  
  
She didn’t answer, tilting her head up to keep the tears from falling. She could sense the Master’s impatience growing, so she choked out, “I wanted to prove my worth to you.” And then it poured out, unbidden by her mind. “I wanted to prove that you didn’t make a mistake in choosing me. I’ve lost every fight to him since he got here! I wanted to show you that I’m a better student.” She couldn’t stop herself. “He’s a jerk to me, acts like he’s better than me, just because he can hit harder! But I work ten times as hard as him, study more, know more, and it’s not fair that he gets better treatment from _you_!”  
  
She spat out the last word, hoping it smacked the Master in the face. She felt the horror at what she had said growing in her belly, but part of her was glad that she had thrown such vitriol at the Master. Everything she had said was the truth; he was a fool if he didn’t agree. She was vaguely aware that Terra had looked away in the background, his face red.

If the Master had been taken aback by her words, he didn’t show it. On the contrary, he seemed to relax as Aqua threw them at him, letting the tantrum proceed without interruption. After Aqua had thrown out her last insult, he studied her silently. The silence only made it worse for Aqua; the horror in her stomach now spread throughout her body. Her face went white, her body shaking as she waited for the Master to speak. _He’s going to throw me out,_ she realized.

Finally, he spoke. “Do you understand why I’m angry with you?” he asked. The words were calm, measured, carefully selected. To Aqua’s anger, he had chosen to ignore her ranting.

“Yes. I disobeyed you.” Aqua responded coldly. “I kept fighting when I should have stopped.” _But I didn’t want to_.

“Yes,” he agreed. “That is as much my fault as yours. I should have stopped you. But, I also thought that I had trained you better.” The words stung her. “I see now that I was wrong.” He sighed, calculating his next sentence. No use in lying to her, he realized. “I am upset with you because you allowed the darkness to take hold of your heart.”

Aqua gasped, shocked to hear the words. It terrified her to think that she had allowed the darkness to take hold of her. _But I didn’t,_ that voice protested. _I just fought as hard as he did! If that was darkness, what he was using?_ “But Master-”

He raised a hand, silencing her. “I do not mean that you fully gave into the darkness,” he clarified slowly, each word digging into Aqua’s heart like a knife. “But, you fed into the feelings of jealousy and anger that have been building up ever since Terra arrived. I have watched as this has happened, waiting to see whether you would let the light or the darkness guide your way. You chose the darkness.”

She bit her lip. This was even worse than she could have imagined; she wished the Master would just scream at her like she had expected. “I…I didn’t mean to,” she finally managed, her voice small.

“Look at my eyes.”

She didn’t want to, but Aqua was not going to refuse a direct order again. She looked up, meeting the Master’s eyes. He studied her, then walked forward and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“You are my student,” he said, lowering his voice so that Terra couldn’t hear him. “You should be able to trust me. I know that you are frustrated because of Terra,” he admitted. “Knew long before you shouted it at me today.” Aqua felt the tears well up again. “I will take some of the blame for not putting an end to this sooner. But, I had hoped that you had learned more than just how to fight and answer a question since you began training with me.”

The Master wiped away the tears, crouching so that he was at the same level as the child. “When we feel anger and jealousy, we must recognize these emotions as what they are – the workings of the darkness, the mistakes of a misguided heart. Do not follow this path. You must never stray from the path of the light, not even in the slightest. One mistake, and you can lose your heart forever.” Aqua nodded.

“Had you kept fighting Terra, you would have fed these emotions more. They would have grown stronger, corrupting you, leading you down a path that would only end in your downfall. Should you ever hope to wield a Keyblade-” Her breathing hitched “-you must counter these emotions. Show mercy when you would strike down an enemy. Learn to forgive when someone has wronged you. Communicate when you are upset. Trust in your friends. Do you understand me?”

She nodded furiously, eyes trained on the Master’s eyes. He sighed.

“Then why, after all that you’ve learned, did you allow Terra to fall to darkness?”

Astonished at the Master’s words, Aqua tried to step back, but the Master’s hands held her in place. Not just holding – gripping her. Her shocked eyes watched as the light that had filled the hall vanished, Master Eraqus’s eyes turning red as the hall twisted around her. In the distance, she heard cackling as the Master’s grip on her shoulders tightened. She tried to tear herself away, fear filling her, but the Master simply pulled her closer, his features contorting, his face filling with evil.

“You let him fall to Darkness!”

“No!” she gasped, struggling in his grip.

“You let me die!”

“NO!”

“Why did you let me fall, Aqua?” The Master’s face twisted into Terra’s. Aqua choked back a sob, realizing that she was no longer a child – she was grown again, staring into Terra’s full-grown face –

She screamed in horror as the face twisted, the hair turning to white. That thing had him again – had her in its arms, was here to kill her. “YOU LET HIM FALL!” it screamed at her, pulling her close.

No – she hadn’t – she had tried to save him! She tried to scream the words at it, but she couldn’t speak. Something was holding her tongue – what was happening to her?

 _I tried to save you!_ she screamed in her head, praying that he might hear her thoughts. _Master, I’m so sorry! I tried to walk the path of light!_

“The light cannot help you now!” the thing snarled at her, slamming her against the wall. Aqua wheezed on impact, stars appearing behind her eyes. Its face contorted again, the humanoid features disappearing as a snarling face of darkness took its place, large, white jagged teeth just inches away from her face, a mane of blood-red hair suddenly growing from its scalp. “The light has never helped you! You are lost to it forever!”

“No,” she choked out. The thing pulled back a claw, a terrifying Keyblade appearing in its hand. It plunged the blade forward, toward Aqua’s heart.

_The light –_

Aqua woke with a scream, a million flaming knives tearing at her body. She was hyperventilating, her body on fire, the darkness all around her. The faces of Terra, the Master, and that thing swarmed through her vision, twisting, contorting – she couldn’t rid herself of them, couldn’t feel what was real around her. She forced her eyes shut, but the terrible sights didn’t leave her. The agony was too much to bear. For all the battles she had fought, all the pain that she had endured, all the years spent wasting away in this realm – nothing could defeat this nightmare.

What she wouldn’t give to make it stop.

“Just let me die!” she shrieked, convulsing on the ground. Her hands pressed against her forehead as she screamed, rolling around in the sand. Every passing second was a living hell as the nightmare followed her into reality. Every thought was contaminated by the horror she had seen.

For all the horrors Aqua was experiencing, the waves continued lapping against the shore, a gentle breeze carrying the smell of salt to the Dark Margin. Somehow, her senses located the sound and the smell. _That’s what’s real,_ something told her. Slowly, her attention shifted, focusing on the quiet, peaceful motion of the waves, the way the breeze moved her hair as she shuddered on the ground. Her heartbeat began to slow as she listened to the waves. The screams gave way to moans, the convulsions subsided to trembling, her breathing slowed to match the rhythm of the waves. The horrors still swam before her eyes, but they were fading, the sights returning to the darkness from whence them came.

Finally, all was still and silent, save for the waves.

Aqua refused to move, kept her eyes sealed shut. _If I open my eyes there’s no telling what I’ll see,_ she thought to herself. Was she still trapped in that nightmare? _No. Only the waves are real._ So long as she stayed still, breathed in time with the waves, and _kept her eyes closed,_ she would be safe. If she dared open her eyes, she would see that thing again, the sight of the Master overtaken by the darkness.

_We’re not safe here._

Who had said that? It seemed so familiar. Had it been the Master?

_We’re not safe anywhere._

She knew that voice. That was hers.

Slowly, Aqua remembered where she was. What had happened. She had fallen asleep after the fight, had lost her strength after battling that monster. And…she shuddered again on the ground, holding her knees close to her body. She was alone again. The man – her one companion in this darkness – he was gone. Taken by the darkness.

_Just like Terra._

_Just like the Master._

How long had she been asleep? There was no telling. She tried to focus on the question, gently rocking herself on the sand. The metronome of the waves calmed her, bringing her back to reality. The terrors of this realm were a joke compared to the nightmare she had just experienced. Aqua had never slept in this realm; when time didn’t progress normally, she had no need to sleep. And now that she had, she would never tempt sleep again.

Perhaps not much time had passed at all. Yes, that was reasonable – if more than an hour had passed, the Heartless would have come for her by now, now that she was alone and weak, ready to succumb to the darkness around her. They would come soon, though. The atmosphere had changed, she noticed. Though the waves were gentle and calm, a storm was brewing nearby. Something was coming.

_Someone will come for me._

Aqua was running out of time. The Heartless were moving faster. She tried to sense a light in the darkness, but there was nothing. No sign of Mickey, no sign of Riku, no sign of Sora. She was alone. Helpless.

“Get up.”

Aqua tightened. The voice sent chills down her spine. It was familiar, but…

“Get up.”

If she opened her eyes, who knew what horrors would be there?

_Terra and Ven need you._

“Get. Up.” Commanding her.

She was ready to give in.

He needs your help.

“GET UP!”

The sound came from her throat. Aqua forced her eyes open, forced her body up, the world spinning around her. A dull pain flowed through her body, a reminder of the last fight. Again, her hands involuntarily searched for the Keyblade that wouldn’t come as she slowly turned in place, searching for the source of the voice.

“Who’s there?” she called. So much weaker than the last time she had said those words. She trembled; if this was another threat, she wasn’t going to be able to fend it off. She could hear the Heartless approaching, could sense the oncoming darkness. How many could she fight? If she lasted long enough in battle, maybe Mickey would still be able to find her in time. Did she have the strength to cast cure magic? Surely she had more medicine left, enough to sustain her in the battle to come.

“Have you made a decision?”

The voice again. Aqua turned, readying her magic.

She saw herself.

Chills ran down her spine. “You,” she sputtered. The phantom that had haunted her throughout this realm. It had her face, but none of the warmth, none of the light – at least none of what remained. It was an empty vessel, here for only one purpose – to torment her, to remind her of the failures that had landed her in this horrid world. And now the phantom’s appearance fully reflected that. Where Aqua’s hair had been blue, the phantom’s was turning white. Darkness had crept across its skin, its copies of her clothing turning black. The eyes…Yes, they were the same disturbing gold as that monster’s. It had changed. Been transformed by the darkness.

Aqua’s heart sank. She didn’t have the strength to defeat it. Not without a Keyblade.

The phantom watched her, keeping its distance as it slowly paced around the area, stalking her. Any second now, Aqua knew it would attack. She could block it, surely, but her phantom would find the weakness in her shield in no time. Aqua could only delay the inevitable.

“If you stay here, you’ll die.”

The sound was her voice, but it came from the phantom, disorienting Aqua’s senses. Was it taunting her? Aqua narrowed her eyes. “Are you here to kill me?” she asked it, watching as it circled her.

The phantom scoffed. “Kill you? What good would that do? _I am you._ ”

Aqua’s breathing quickened. It was toying with her, drawing out her death to torture her. “Get it over with!” she barked. If this was the end, she would go out fighting.

“So you’ve decided to stay, then.”

What choice did she have? She was going to die either way. Either at the hands of this phantom or at the endless tide of the Heartless. Ironic, wasn’t it? She could picture the Master lecturing on how one’s greatest enemy was oneself. In another time, she might have called upon the memory as she prepared to teach her students the same lesson. The thought made her yearn for the past again, made her wish that she could leave this realm and go back to Ven and Terra and their dreams of being Keyblade Masters.

“I might be with the Master soon enough,” she whispered to herself, her fate closing in on her.

“You aren’t paying attention,” the phantom called, its voice growing bored with her.

 _Aren’t paying attention?_ She thought. Somehow, a dull fury built in her, her eyes glaring at the phantom. She was more than aware of what was happening. The Heartless were coming, she was going to die, and the phantom was here to carry it out.

“I don’t understand!” Aqua snapped, finally. “What do you want from me?”

The phantom stepped toward her. “You think I want to kill you.”

_It’s reading my mind._

“Of course I’m reading your mind. It’s _my_ mind.”

The darkness had finally gotten to her, hadn’t it? After all this time, she was finally going insane.

“Oh, for the love of – I thought you were supposed to be smart!”

The phantom reached for her, and Aqua was too slow. But, whatever she had expected, it hadn’t been a slap across her face. She gasped, the sting of the slap burning her skin. Instinctively, her hand caressed where the slap had landed.

Aqua glared at her phantom, and it glared right back. They held eyes like that for a few moments, then the phantom looked away and sighed dramatically. “Do you really not understand what I am?”

“You’re darkness,” Aqua quipped.

“Yes. _Your_ darkness.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Oh my god, and you thought Terra was the dumb one-”

“Don’t you dare,” she snarled. “Don’t you dare say his name. Don’t say any of their names!” she added furiously, grabbing the phantom’s wrists. They were solid; that was a good sign. It meant the phantom was physically here. She wasn’t going crazy. Or, at least, not as crazy as she expected.

“That’s more like it,” the phantom scoffed. “Maybe if you had this type of rage you would’ve gotten out by now.”

Aqua froze at the word. _Rage._ She was letting the darkness manipulate her again, just like she had in the fight with Terra all those years ago. She could feel the Master’s disappointment reaching her through the years. Releasing the phantom’s hands, Aqua breathed in deeply, backing away from the phantom. Part of her knew that she needed to move, needed to run from here – but run to where? _Nowhere is safe,_ she reminded herself. Better to stay here and get answers from this thing while she still had time.  
  
“Ugh!” the phantom groaned, throwing its hands up in the air. She could’ve sworn it rolled its eyes when it did that. “I’m so sick of you just constantly shoving down any negative emotion. God, if you just let yourself _feel_ for once in your life you might actually figure it out!”

“Figure out what?” she asked, trying to keep her voice normal.

The phantom frowned at her. “A lot of things. Think it over for a second. Why am I talking to you if I came here to kill you? I’ve tried before,” it added.

It was right. She had clashed with it before. Aqua studied the phantom, realizing slowly what it was missing. “You lost your Keyblade,” she said. And… “Because I lost my Keyblade.”

“Right. And I’m only as strong as you are. Which means-”

“Right now you’re not strong enough to fight me.”

She blinked, realizing what the phantom meant. She wasn’t here to kill her. This wasn’t the end. The relief almost washed through her until she remembered that the Heartless were still coming. _Quickly._ “You…you said you _were_ me,” Aqua managed.

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand.”

The phantom sighed, looking around itself as if gesturing to an unseen audience, as if to ask if any of them wanted a chance at explaining it. Seeing no volunteers, it rolled its eyes again and pointed at Aqua. “I’m the darkness in your heart,” it said. “Made physical. Made real.”

“The darkness…” Aqua said quietly. The nightmare almost came back to her, but she tried to suppress it –

The phantom grabbed her again; Aqua’s skin went cold where it touched her. “If you keep denying me like that it’s only going to make me angrier,” it growled.

Aqua tried to pull her hands away but the grip was too strong. “Let go of me,” she commanded.

“No.”

She pulled harder, but the phantom’s grip was tight. Aqua looked into her eyes again, the same eyes that that monster had had. Suddenly, its face swam before her vision again, combining with the Master’s, then Terra’s, then Ven’s, then Sora and Riku’s, then Mickey’s, until finally it settled back on the phantom. It happened so quickly that Aqua didn’t even have time to realize what was happening, but when it had ended, she was in a cold sweat, panting and on the ground again.

“That nightmare was you?” she choked out.

“That was _us,_ ” the phantom clarified. It had moved away from Aqua, closer to the water where Aqua had sat just an hour ago. Now, it looked back over its shoulder and sighed, Aqua noting just how farcical the action was. It was silent for a moment, returning its gaze back to the water. Then, ever so quietly:

“We’re running out of time,” it muttered. The words came so hushed that Aqua might not have heard them had she not trained her eyes to pick up on the smallest sound after all these years. Even more, as evil as the being was, as much as Aqua wanted to beat it back into the darkness…the words were genuine. They were resigned.

It looked at Aqua again, sensing she had noticed. “Look. Here’s the thing. A while back I was all about fighting you, claiming my independence, all that great stuff, but now that you lost our strength, I’m not much better than a Shadow.” It looked down at the ground, as if ashamed to admit a secret. “I… I don’t want to disappear,” it admitted. “Not like this.”

Aqua had rarely not understood something, but she did not understand anything about this situation. One moment the phantom had been gripping her, threatening her – and then it suddenly acted like this, almost pitiful. _It wants me to help it,_ Aqua realized. Yes, that had to be it. It needed something from her. Or, maybe…it needed her to do something. She narrowed her eyes. _Making me do something. Just like Xehanort made Terra do something._

She couldn’t trust it.

“You’re manipulating me.”

“Manipulating you? Of course I am. That’s what people to do each other.” It blew air out of its mouth, not even bothering to hide the act anymore. It glanced at Aqua, its eyes taunting her again, before sitting on the rock where the man had sat before. “Look, you want to get out of here?”

Aqua didn’t give anything away on her face, but she couldn’t keep her hope from bubbling under the surface. She nearly asked it if it knew a way out, but she stopped herself. _It’s trying to trick you,_ she told herself. Even if it wasn’t here to kill her, it came from the darkness. She couldn’t trust a creature like that.

“You can’t even trust yourself. How pathetic.”

Aqua kept her calm, calling the bluff. “You’re trying to make me angry,” she said.

“Who, me?”

 _This is getting me nowhere,_ Aqua realized, almost letting out her own frustrated sigh. She took a few deep breaths, considering what the phantom could be attempting. It wasn’t here to kill her, which meant…“You want my body,” she said finally, hazarding a guess out loud. As the words left her mouth, she became convinced of their validity. Yes, that had to be it – it was the only explanation. “You can’t exist outside of this realm. You want to take control of me so you can wreak havoc on the Realm of Light.”

It didn’t respond.

“That’s what you want, isn’t it?” she demanded, walking towards the phantom. “You want to take control of my body, just like that thing did with Terra. Just like Vanitas,” she added, a scowl entering her voice. “Just like what he did to Ventus. You’re not strong enough to fight me, so you’re trying to trick me.”

The phantom sighed again, but without the drama. “Fine. Your funeral.”

Aqua watched the phantom gaze across the water, wanting to interrogate it further, preparing a counterattack for whatever it was planning, but nothing came. Aqua almost moved to attack it before catching herself, the dream still engraved in her mind. The Master would not look kindly on her starting a fight, even if she was pre-empting an attack. Aqua relaxed, her ears returning to the rhythm of the waves. Her eyes once again turned to the dark waters lapping at the shore.

How much time did she have? How far away were the Heartless? It couldn’t be long now. Aqua stood, watching the waves roll over one another. _Mickey can still make it,_ she told herself. _Time moves faster in the Realm of Light. For every second that passes here, it could be hours, days even, there. He’s coming_ -

“He’s not coming, and if you were honest with yourself for five seconds you would know that.”

Aqua wanted to give in to her emotions, turn around and strangle the phantom, but knew that was what it wanted. Instead, she rooted herself where she was, kept watching the waves. She didn’t want to accept the truth that was in front of her, wanted to keep believing that Mickey would come for her. The King would find her, just like he had promised he would. He would free her from this place. She would return find Ven and Terra with his help, and they would all go home to the Land of Departure and live happily ever after.

“Happily ever after,” she mumbled. _Like a fairy tale. It’s not real._

She couldn’t stop the sorrow from filling her, try as she might. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she realized that the phantom was right. If Mickey was coming, he wouldn’t make it in time. The Heartless were going to beat him to her, and Aqua wouldn’t be able to survive the fight. She was going to die here, alone in the dark, and the phantom would take hold of her lifeless corpse, turning her to darkness.

All this time that she had wasted waiting for Mickey. Who knew how much time had passed while she sat on this beach, basking in the false safety it had offered? If she had been smart – had kept moving – she could have kept the man safe, could have avoided that fight with the monster. There had to be another way out of the darkness. If Mickey had found his way in somehow, there had to be a way out. Some sort of door like she had seen like last time.

_I can’t stay here._

It was a grim realization, but Aqua knew she had no choice. She sniffed, wiping her eyes, praying that the phantom wouldn’t make a comment about her tears. The King wasn’t coming. Staying here meant certain death. But…she turned her back to the water, looking back at the path that led to the beach, the one that had carried her here after all the time spent wandering the darkness. She could walk back, but that too meant certain death. Maybe she would survive longer, but she knew that Heartless lined that path. Mickey would lose her again, without question; the Realm of Darkness was too vast, lacking too many landmarks. And without a Keyblade…

She turned to the ocean.

_These waters are the in-between of dark and light, its shores the margins of day and night._

Across the water, though…Strange that after all this time she hadn’t seen anything in the water or out across the horizon. She looked at the waves. How tranquil they were, how they smelled just like any other waves, yet neither she nor the man had dared go any closer to them. Could they really be so tranquil?

If she went across the water…she might lose herself to the darkness forever.

But if she stayed here…

She reached for the Wayfinder that still rested near her chest. She imagined Ven running ahead of her, unable to resist the call to explore and adventure. So naïve. So carefree. She had never been that way, had always been too cautious, had only left the Land of Departure to chase after her friends who had led the way. And yet she had ended up doomed to the darkness anyway.

A sudden resolve took over her. If she was going to die, she was going to die on her terms, not waiting to be rescued like a damsel in distress. It was her turn to lead the way into the dark unknown.

Aqua stepped away from the water, pacing up the beach, far from the reach of the tide. It was a long shot, but she wanted to make sure that her message wasn’t washed away by the waves. With any luck, the next person to set foot on this beach would be its intended recipient. And if not…She knelt to the ground, setting to work on inscribing the words into the sand as quickly as she could. She wanted a head start on the Heartless who were closing in, sensing the sudden shift in her heart, the purpose she had chosen to light her path forward

No more wandering. No more waiting. Aqua was going to save herself, or she was going to die trying.

She stood after a minute, looking down at the makeshift message in the sand.

_Mickey – I’m sorry. I had to leave._

And below that –

 _Ven at LoD. Find M.E. key._  
  
“Please find him,” she whispered, a hand clutching the Wayfinder again. “It’s up to you now.”

She raised her head. Aqua returned to the shore, standing next to the rock where the phantom sat. Readying herself with a deep breath, Aqua raised her hand. The phantom, meanwhile, had been watching her lazily, silent while she had worked. A smug look had taken over its face as Aqua gathered mana at the edge of her hand.

“Blizzaga.”

The spell shot out in a dazzling beam of blue, the light of the magic shining bright in the darkness. The spell hit the edge of the water, speeding out in a straight line of ice across the sea. Aqua wanted to hesitate, wanted to wait just five more seconds for Mickey, but knew that the ice would disappear sooner, wasting a valuable use of magic. She had to move fast now if she wanted to make it. If she timed it right, she would be able to go a long distance, recasting when needed, using the remains of her supplies to replenish her magic.

For a moment, she considered the possibility of what would happen if the sea went on forever. Fear ran through her veins at the thought.

_We must recognize these emotions as what they are – the darkness._

_You must never stray from the path of the light._

_If you just let yourself feel for once in your life!_

Aqua let the fear run through her. For once, she felt the fear fully, didn’t try to calm herself, didn’t try to push it down, didn’t shudder at its appearance. And for once…it felt good. Felt exciting. The fear transformed her, the blood pumping through her veins at a heightened rhythm. Anxiety turned to excitement; resignation turned to purpose.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the phantom’s lips twitch. “Have you made your decision?” it asked.

Was that a smile?

Aqua ran forward and leapt onto the ice. She landed gently, the power of Flowmotion guiding her over the ice, out across the sea, away from the safety of the shore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoping you enjoyed the chapter! I took some time to plan out the story, and it's looking to be about 15-17 chapters long, with 3 parts, depending on how much I write. Super excited for what's coming, can't wait to share it :)


	3. Hearts Lost at Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While traveling across the sea, Aqua encounters two souls lost to the Realm of Darkness.

This was a mistake.

The confidence she found when she left the beach had evaporated. Five hours had passed by Aqua’s uncertain estimate, probably more. _Maybe a whole month in the Realm of Light,_ she realized, regret sinking in. The passage of time was worrisome enough. Making matters worse was the dwindling supply of medicine she had on her. Aqua was keenly aware of the speed at which her mana depleted, and it was disappearing faster than she had hoped. Three ethers and two elixirs remained, but she would need to use one of them soon. _How much longer can I last?_ At the most, she had maybe two more hours based on the ethers, three and a half if she used the elixirs. But they were off-limits. _I have to save those for injuries,_ she told herself, and there was no telling when the next battle would come.

And she was sure it would, even though as the hours passed no threat had appeared. What should have been a relief only heightened Aqua’s paranoia. The one constant through the Realm of Darkness had been the certainty of a Heartless attack. Yet, speeding across the ocean, the vigilance she had cultivated through twelve years battling the darkness was met with nothing. And it wasn’t just the lack of Heartless that unnerved her. No, it was the lack of _anything_. No sights, no sounds, no land. Not even a Heartless. Nothing existed out here.

Except for the sea.

These waters…Before, they had offered her comfort, the gentle lapping of the waves tying her to reality after the nightmare. They had offered hope, a way through the darkness. Now, their constant ebb and flow rattled Aqua’s confidence more than any enemy had. Even when she had first arrived at the beach, she had always kept her distance from the outermost reaches of the tide. Something within her was adamant about it, a primal scream telling her to _Stay out of the water!_

As she traveled, she hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that she might have been safer waiting on the beach for Mickey. At least on the beach she had known the threat; out here, surrounded by the inky nothingness of the dark waters, the silence had proven the most dangerous. Aqua kept reaffirming her decision through the silence, telling herself that at least _she_ had made the choice. _I’d rather die out here than waiting to be rescued,_ she had told herself. Yet the most unsettling thought had not been that of her own death. No, Aqua had made peace with the reality that she was probably going to die. Her death would mean something now, she had seen to that. Mickey would find her message, and then he would find Ven, and together with Sora and Riku, they would save Terra. Her friends would be safe, even if she was gone.

No, Aqua was no longer scared of her own death. She no longer feared the Heartless, even. What terrified Aqua more than anything was what would happen when the magic ran out and she fell into the sea. When her magic ran out – and it would, without a place to rest, without medicine to replenish it – she would have no choice but to swim for it. And when she did…

Aqua shuddered. _These waters don’t mean death. They mean something far worse._

“An interesting way to go – she died sliding across ice.”

 _Ignore it¸_ she told herself. In the five hours that had passed, the phantom had kept haunting her, gliding along on its own path of ice. Thankfully, it only spoke when Aqua began to doubt herself. Unfortunately, she had doubted herself a lot. Each of its taunts pierced her, cracked through the confidence she tried to instill. Aqua knew that talking to the phantom would only make her feel worse, but twelve years spent alone in the dark had taught her that being alone was worse than anything the phantom could do to her. She would take the company when she could get it.

“I think it’d be closer to drowning,” Aqua grumbled in response, keeping her eyes glued to the horizon in front of her. She had, of course, considered that the phantom was just biding its time. When Aqua’s magic ran out, leaving her to face the darkness with no powers, she would be left with no choice but to succumb to the darkness. The phantom would take over her body then, and Aqua would be no more. Yet even that was a better future than the terrifying uncertainty of stepping foot into these waters. Her body would survive. _Just like Terra’s._ The thought was dark, but almost a comfort. Maybe Mickey and Ven would be able to dispel the Phantom from her heart.

“How fun,” the phantom remarked drolly. “You could’ve died fighting the Heartless, and instead, you’re going to die because you drowned. What a remarkable end for Aqua, the chosen Keyblade Master.”

“I thought you wanted me to leave the beach?” Aqua asked, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She saw the end of the line approaching and waved her hand, extending the spell farther across the water. She felt her vision blur around the edges but couldn’t use an ether yet. She had to be right on the edge before she could use the medicine.

“I never said that.”

Aqua didn’t push for clarification, not up for a meaningless argument when her magic was already so low. Instead, she redirected. “What do you think is out here?” she asked.

“Why would I know?”

“You come from this place,” she answered. “You have to know something about it.”

“Can’t say I do,” it answered. “But I’m curious to find out. If you don’t die first,” she added, the dark humor dripping off its tongue.

Silence followed as Aqua considered a response. The time came to cast another spell, and Aqua did so, the phantom mirroring her moves. The two lines of ice extended further as the twins continued their journey. She almost stumbled off the ice a few moments later as the spellcasting took its toll; thankfully, she caught herself before falling into the water. Begrudgingly, she reached for another ether.

_Only two more._

Time passed in silence as the two skated along, occasionally raising their hands to extend the magic. “You never answered my question earlier,” Aqua said finally, her voice seeming to echo on endlessly around them.

The phantom cocked an eyebrow. “I haven’t answered a lot of your questions. Gonna have to be more specific.”

“When I asked if you were trying to take control of my body,” Aqua clarified, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice. “That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

No response came. Aqua sighed, frustrated that her latest attempt had failed but not willing to give up just yet. _Redirect,_ she told herself. “I guess I should expect that from the darkness in my heart,” she muttered.

“Expect what?”

“Well, I figure that you’re the opposite of me,” she explained.

“Oh! Ten points. The teacher’s pet finally gets it right.”

She ignored it. “Which means that you reflect all the negatives to my positive traits. So, since I always answer questions when someone politely asks me-”

“What makes you think that’s a positive?” the phantom interrupted. “What if I asked you to tell me what Terra looked like naked? Is it a good thing if you tell me?” Aqua blushed and the phantom cackled next to her. It had called her bluff, had easily figured out what she was trying to do. _Of course it did,_ she thought, irritated that she had forgotten. _It can read your thoughts._

“I-I’m just saying,” Aqua spluttered, trying to regain the upper hand, “that I would expect the darkness-”

“To do what? Not tell you everything? Keep secrets?” the phantom laughed, the sound chilling the air around them. “Newsflash, sweetheart. Everyone keeps secrets. Your lovely Master didn’t tell you a lot of things.”

Aqua knew it was trying to make her mad. She took a deep breath, taking the moment to picture herself swinging her Keyblade at the phantom, knocking it into the water. It was…satisfying. And it was enough, for now. She centered herself. “It’s one thing to keep secrets from other people,” she said slowly.

“What’s your point?” the phantom growled.

Aqua shrugged nonchalantly. “Hard to keep secrets from yourself.”

“Funny of you to say that when _you_ can’t even be honest with yourself.”

Aqua bit her lip. The phantom’s remark brought a set of memories to her, unbidden and unwelcome, but she was powerless to stop it. The time she had assured herself after Radiant Garden that Ven and Terra would be okay without her. The time that she had told Mickey she didn’t need his help finding Terra after the Keyblade Graveyard. The time that she saved Terra’s body, even though it meant consigning herself to eternity in darkness. She had told herself she was acting nobly. She hadn’t meddled in the affairs of her friends, had kept Mickey out of the fight, had made the ultimate sacrifice. But now…

What she wouldn’t give to change each of those decisions, to make the selfish choice. Her noble acts had led to her downfall, had unwittingly led to terror in the Realm of Light. Ven and Terra were still lost, and it was all her fault.

Another spell shot out, extending the ice. “You’re my regret,” Aqua muttered quietly.

“I’m your what?”

“You know what I said.”

“I’m a lot of things,” the phantom replied lazily. “Your regret. Your anger. Your fear, your despair, your pride, your jealousy – all those things you’ve spent your entire life repressing because you couldn’t dare let the darkness in.”

“I didn’t repress them,” Aqua countered furiously. “I learned to rely on my friends – my family,” she corrected herself. “When I felt anger, I forgave those who wronged me. When I felt fear, my family protected me. When I felt jealousy, I learned to take pride in their accomplishments. That’s not repression.”

“But it’s not feeling those things either!” the phantom snapped. “What about when your friends felt those emotions? Did they come to you? Did they trust you?”

A memory came to her, turning Aqua’s stomach upside down. _You’re awful, Aqua._ Ven’s voice, right after they had fought the giant Unversed in Radiant Garden. The betrayal had been enough to break her, and instead of correcting him, telling him the truth, explaining it to him like she should have…she had let him run off. Had let both of them run off.

If she had just let Ven help her bring Terra back…they could have avoided everything.

“That…that was a low blow,” she muttered.

“It made my point though.”

“What? That it’s all my fault that I’m down here, and my friends are lost in the darkness? My fault that the Master’s dead?” she snapped.

The phantom looked her in the eyes. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

If the phantom wanted Aqua to feel anger and hate, then it was successful. Aqua nearly let out a scream, felt the mana gathering at her hands. What would hurt the phantom the most, she thought? _I want her to burn,_ she realized furiously. Yes, a firaga was the answer. She would hurl it at the creature, send it flying into the waters, let the shadows have it. She grinned, the darkness flowing through her –

Before she could realize what she was thinking, though, she heard it.

Aqua narrowed her eyes. She homed in on the distant sound – yes, it was real. It wasn’t just the sound of the water. There was something – no, _someone_ else out here. And they were crying. Despite the distance, the sound was carrying across the water. There was nothing else to hear; any other disturbance would be as audible. The thoughts of attacking the phantom subsided, giving way to the warmth of hope.

_I’m not alone._

Aqua calmed herself, pulling herself back from the abyss of anger with which she had briefly flirted. She allowed herself to feel a small surge of hope, but the memories of Mickey and the man being taken from her were too fresh on her mind. _They’re crying,_ she reminded herself. _Whoever that is…they have to be lost to darkness._ She felt pity for the poor soul. She had spent too much of her time in this realm shedding tears. She had to measure them though, only allow herself to give into it when she felt safe. Sorrow was a gateway to despair, and despair led to darkness. And if this soul kept crying, they would be subsumed by it.

Aqua reached out with heart, trying to find the lost soul through the darkness.

The sheer strength of the light almost knocked her over. “What power!” she gasped, steadying herself on the ice. She leaned forward, urging her body to move faster, throwing caution to the wind. She had never felt a light this strong before. Was it this place? Perhaps the years spent wandering the dark left her sensitive to the touch of light.

The phantom was silent, its brow furrowed.

Aqua’s thoughts raced, wondering how such a powerful light could be in this dark place. How could such a strong heart have fallen to darkness? Her heart leapt into her throat. Had Mickey come back to find her, only to give up hope, thinking she was dead? She could see something off in the distance now – _Land!_ A small island, two figures on its shore. The realization was a jolt to her heart. She grinned madly. This had to be the way home! But –

“There’s something else,” she announced aloud. It wasn’t just the presence of light, Aqua realized. No, she could sense another presence, close to the light. _Dangerously_ close to the light. _The Heartless?!_ Had she finally found them, all the way out here? She panicked - _No, wait._ It wasn’t the Heartless. That other presence…she frowned. Not dark, but devoid of light. Empty, teetering on the boundary between dark and light. Not yet given in to the former but long since removed from the latter.

“What is that?” Aqua wondered aloud.

“A shell.”

The words were whispered on the breeze, coming from neither Aqua nor her phantom. They sent a chill down her spine, and from the corner of her eye, she saw even the phantom shiver. “Who’s there?” Aqua called, but no response came. Just the sobbing and the sound of the waves. She narrowed her eyes, readying her magic. Whatever that presence was, it had to be dangerous. And -

She gasped. The great light had begun to fade.

The color drained from her face as the short burst of hope she had allowed herself drained from her heart. It had to be that empty presence, stealing the light! A storm took hold behind her eyes. She had watched too many souls lose themselves to darkness. She wasn’t going to let this light disappear, too, let this light become prey to that presence.

“That’s not it.”

The phantom’s voice cut through the silence. Aqua looked over at it; it had read her thoughts again. “What do you mean?”

“Look again.”

She did so and found that the phantom was right. The empty presence remained just that – empty. Even as the light continued to dim, the emptiness remained. “It’s this place,” Aqua realized. “It’s taking her light.”

“A light that strong shouldn’t be here,” the phantom said. “It’s never been touched by darkness. It won’t survive long.”

 _I’ll save it,_ she thought to herself. It didn’t matter what the cause was; she was not going to let another heart fall to darkness as long as she still lived. They were nearly at the shore now, the sobs growing louder as the two came closer. The island was empty except for the two figures, but the darkness kept Aqua from seeing their faces. At the very least, the land would give her a chance to rest, let her magic replenish naturally, give her maybe two extra hours to travel.

They were within reach. Aqua readied herself. She came to the end of the ice and jumped off, gliding through the air to cover the remaining distance. With a soft thud, she landed upright on the sand, crouched down into her landing position. She stood, scanning the surrounding area.

The phantom had disappeared.

Aqua felt another rush of fear at the sudden loss of her specter. _Where did you go?_ she thought, wondering if it might still be reading her mind, but there was no response. Since when had she grown to care for it? _I don’t,_ she told herself. _I’m paranoid it’s going to attack me. Or the light._ Yes, that was it. The phantom was testing her, planning an attack. She would have to be careful.

She turned to the two figures. Both were women, couldn’t have been any older than Aqua had been when she fell to darkness. Had she aged? A question for another time. The one crying was sitting on the ground, inches away from the reach of the tide, the edges of the dazzlingly sky-blue dress she wore wet from the waves. Her platinum blonde hair had clearly been held back by a braid, but had since collapsed, frayed and frizzy, in a mess around her face. She had her face buried in her knees, arms wrapped around her legs as she sobbed. Her hands shone brightly in the darkness, white as a pearl. She was the source of the great light Aqua had sensed, but with each sob that wracked her body, Aqua felt the light fade further.

The other woman stood several feet behind her, watching with no expression. This one…there was no light in her, but no darkness either. It was the empty presence she had sensed, the shell that the breeze had described. She had never met anyone like this before. Yet it was here, watching the young woman cry, alone in the dark. Aqua examined the silent woman, her eyes immediately drawn to the sharp cheekbones that protruded from her face. Long brown hair fell down her back, her pale skin wrapped in a long, brown robe with dark gold wool on the trim. The woman’s eyes were a dispassionate gray, her ears pointed, and extending from her forehead were two dark, curved horns. Her features were terrifyingly sharp, her beauty severe, as if carved from steel.

Aqua couldn’t quite place it, but it felt like she had met this woman before.

The Keyblade Master approached the two women, yet neither acknowledged her arrival. The young woman was clearly too absorbed in her own sobbing to notice the newcomer, but the other woman…Aqua cleared her throat, but no reaction from her. The horned woman kept her eyes on the blonde, her expression unchanging, almost as if bored from the sight. If she had noticed Aqua, she was refusing to show it. Could it be that she found Aqua’s presence unremarkable? _This far from any sign of life…she should be shocked to see me. Unless…_

Aqua’s heart skipped a beat. The sight of unfamiliar strangers was not a shock to this woman. She had seen them before, wasn’t taken aback by new souls lost to the darkness. Others had come to this place before, Aqua realized. Moreover, the woman would know what had become of those others – whether they had survived their journey or perished. She could tell Aqua what lay beyond this place, could show her where the sea would take her.

She could show her the way home.

Aqua stepped forward, ready to interrogate the woman when she heard the blonde begin coughing, her sobs worsening. Aqua stopped herself, realizing she had been drawn away from the light towards this emptiness. _The darkness is starting to seduce me,_ she realized with horror. _I’m becoming selfish. Losing my purpose._ Just moments ago, she had steeled herself to fight for the fading light, yet she had already forgotten her mission. This soul needed her help more than Aqua needed answers.

She again looked at the horned woman, a question forming on her tongue. The horned woman continued to ignore her, her steel eyes still watching the blonde. _She won’t help you,_ Aqua realized. She sighed, turning and quietly walking over to the sobbing girl. She tried clearing her throat again, not wanting to frighten the blonde, but the sobs were too loud for her to hear. Aqua knelt on the ground next to her, though she took care to stay out of reach of the waves, keenly aware that they had not yet revealed their alignment to her. She gently placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

The blonde froze, the sobs stopping as she registered the touch. Aqua almost withdrew her hand, the bitter cold of the blonde’s skin stinging her. _Like ice,_ she thought. _How can so bright a light be this frozen?_ This woman…What was she?

Slowly, the blonde raised her head, turning to look at Aqua. The Keyblade Master almost let out another gasp, stunned by her beauty. Crystal blue eyes shone from a heart-shaped face, skin glistening white, stained with tears, cheeks red from the emotional ordeal. Somehow, the tears had left her eyes untouched; where there should have been red, Aqua saw only blue. Even in sorrow, she was still enchanting. She had to be the same age as Aqua, maybe even younger. And she…she reminded Aqua of somebody, just as the other woman had. Another blue-eyed blonde with a powerful light. Where had she met her? Images scattered through her mind of a girl dressed in blue, waltzing with a prince, running down the stairs, sitting in a chair as a duke placed a glass slipper on her heel…

_Could this be a Princess of Heart?_

The thought stunned her. That couldn’t be possible – the Princesses of Heart were supposed to be incorruptible, safe from the reaches of even the most dangerous darkness! Such hearts could never fall to this realm, Master Eraqus had taught her that. It was the role of a Keyblade wielder to protect those precious lights from those who would use their power for nefarious deeds. She remembered now that it had been one of his most urgent lessons, how he instilled into them with the utmost importance. But he had never said anything about a Princess of Heart falling to darkness, and they had never thought to ask. It wasn’t possible – these hearts were supposed to be pure light, free from any hints of darkness.

 _And yet here she is. Funny, isn’t it_? the phantom’s voice taunted from inside her mind.

 _Where did you go?_ she thought, annoyed by its sudden resurgence.

_I’m not a fan of crying._

Another memory; Ven convulsing on the floor, his hands on his head, tears flowing down his face. She and Terra, standing to the side, stunned and helpless, while Master Eraqus and that monster aided the boy. Anger surged through Aqua. _What was I supposed to do?_

_Exactly what I wanted you to do. Nothing._

This was a distraction, Aqua told herself firmly. She could feel the phantom readying a response, but Aqua kept from indulging it, returning her attention to the Princess. Who could she be? There were supposed to be seven; she had met three, of course. Maybe four, if that girl in Radiant Garden...what had been her name? It didn’t matter now. Surely this Princess had to be one of the other four, maybe one of the other three.

“Who are you?” the blonde asked, breaking Aqua’s reverie. The Princess’s voice was small and shaky, clearly afraid of her, this stranger who had come out of nowhere.

Aqua put on her warmest smile, feeling sympathy for the girl. _Of course she’s afraid of me,_ she thought. _I would be too._ She kept her hand on the woman’s shoulder, hoping that her light would find its way to the Princess and comfort her.

_What remains of your light._

Aqua ignored the phantom. “My name is Aqua,” she said to the Princess.

“Aqua,” the woman repeated.

She nodded, confirming it. “Yes. Aqua. What’s your name?” The blonde blinked at her. She was confused by the question. Aqua resisted the urge to frown, not wanting to upset her. “Do you remember your name?” she asked.

The blonde furrowed her brow. “I…I should. I don’t know why I don’t.” She hurried through the last few words, mumbling them, ashamed to have forgotten her own name.

“It’s okay if you don’t,” Aqua insisted, trying to comfort the girl, keep her tethered to the moment.

The blonde nodded, biting her lip, clearly trying to keep herself from crying. “I…I think my name is…” She stopped, trying to find the words. “My name is Elsa,” she finally said.

“Elsa,” Aqua repeated. “It’s a beautiful name.” She could feel the horned woman’s eyes on her now; clearly, she had done something to finally spark her interest.

Elsa nodded absentmindedly, gazing out at the water. Suddenly, she looked around wildly, the fear spiking again. “Where am I?” she asked urgently. “Where’s my sister?”

 _She has family,_ Aqua thought, her heart sinking. _How did she end up here? Where were they?_

 _Maybe they’re dead like Ven and Terra,_ the phantom mocked.

“It’s okay,” Aqua said softly. “Listen to the sound of the waves. They help.”

Elsa didn’t listen. “Where am I?” she asked again, her voice breaking. “Am I dead? Did I die?!”

“You’re not dead,” Aqua urged softly. “But you need to calm down. Hold my hand.” She offered the blonde her hand and swallowed the urge to yelp when Elsa’s nails dug into her skin. “I know you’re scared,” Aqua said. “But in this place, fear will consume you. Listen to the waves. Try to calm down.”

Elsa nodded, her grip on Aqua’s hand tightening even further somehow. Elsa’s breathing was shallow, her body trembling. Aqua waited, breathed with her as she calmed down, tried to channel her warmth into Princess. As the girl breathed, Aqua sensed Elsa’s light again. It had faded, but with each calming breath she took, it stabilized. Finally, it centered completely, Elsa’s breathing reaching a calm rhythm. The tears stopped.

“Are you okay?” Aqua asked again.

Elsa nodded. “Yes.” She paused. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Aqua wanted to turn to the other woman and ask who she was, but now was not the time.

“You…you said your name was Aqua. I’ve never met anyone with that name.”

“It is an interesting one,” Aqua replied, smiling to herself. Aqua had few memories of her parents. They had known Master Eraqus, well enough to pass some stories onto him and to entrust her to his care after their deaths. “My parents met by the ocean,” she said, looking out across the water. She let her guard down. “They always said the water brought them together. So they wanted to name me after it, so they could always have the water with them.”

“That’s…that’s a lovely story. I’m sorry about your parents.”

“It’s okay,” Aqua replied. “I was young when they passed. I never really knew them. And my teacher…he was like a father to me. Allowed me to grow up happy, carefree. I had a happy childhood thanks to him.”

Elsa nodded, silent. “I used to be like that,” she said. “When I was a kid. I used to love playing in the snow with my sister.” She sighed. “Then this happened.” She raised a hand, twirling it. To Aqua’s surprise, several small snowflakes popped out, floating gently down to the sand. “It’s…it’s weaker, here, I think.”

“You can do magic?”

“It’s not magic. It’s a curse.” Elsa’s voice suddenly went cold. “I wouldn’t wish having this power on anyone.”

In spite of herself, Aqua laughed. Elsa looked to her, shocked, but Aqua simply waved her hand, sending out a weak blizzard spell. It landed a few feet away from the shore, a small patch of sparkling ice appearing on the surface of the water before disappearing into nothingness. Elsa’s eyes widened.

“You too?” she asked.

Aqua nodded. “I can do other magic too. I can summon fire and thunder, cure injuries, even stop time briefly…when I have the strength.”

“Wow,” Elsa breathed softly. “I…I can only do ice. And when I do, it hurts people.”

“So does mine,” Aqua replied. Elsa’s shock only widened. “But only when I want it to.”

“Can you teach me how to control mine?”

The question came fast, surprising Aqua, but she smiled. “Of course.” She looked out at the ocean, still holding onto the Princess’s hand. “Magic isn’t good or bad. It’s what you do with it.”

Elsa nodded, silent again. “I lost my parents too,” she said softly. Aqua strengthened her grip briefly, hoping it would comfort the girl. “And I hurt my sister when I was younger. I…I shut her out, afraid I was going to keep hurting her.” She sighed. “I don’t want to. I want to be with her. But as long as I’m like this…” she gestured down to herself. “Where am I?” Elsa asked again. “You said I wasn’t dead. But…” she looked around. “Why do I feel so empty? What is this place?”

“This is the Boundary.”

Aqua whipped around, moving unbelievably fast. The words had come from the horned woman. Her voice was empty, emotionless, barely audible. The same voice as the one that had whispered on the breeze. As Aqua met her eyes, she saw the same emptiness.

“Who are you?” Elsa had mirrored her action, her voice fearful again. Aqua strengthened her grip on the girl’s hand, feeling the light start to slip again.

“It’s okay,” Aqua whispered. “I’ll protect you.”

 _Just like you protected Ven?_ the phantom taunted.

_Go away._

“I am unimportant,” the horned woman answered. She looked at Aqua. “You would be wise to keep your hand on her.”

Aqua stopped mid-motion, having almost stood, her hands in front of her to gather magic. She knelt again, not breaking eye contact with the horned woman. Her hand returned to Elsa’s. She felt the Princess’s light trembling. Both Aqua and Elsa waited for the woman to speak again, but nothing came. The silence stretched for a few uncomfortably tense moments, then:

“What…what’s the Boundary?” Elsa asked nervously.

The horned woman was silent. They waited. Aqua watched the horned woman, trying to discern what she was thinking behind those empty gray eyes. Just as she convinced herself that the woman would remain silent, she spoke again.

“You will find out soon enough.”

“What does that mean?” Aqua snapped. She didn’t expect a response. And, as expected, none came. Aqua let out a frustrated sigh. _Nothing here ever has a straight answer._ “I’m sorry,” she muttered to Elsa. “Some of the people you meet here are…well, they pride themselves in being frustrating.”

 _I’ll take that as a compliment,_ the phantom mocked.

_Shut up._

“Are you from here?” Elsa asked. “You…you don’t feel empty. Not like this place.”

“There’s still time,” Aqua responded. As the words left her mouth, she realized how sarcastic they were, realized they weren’t her words at all. Her eyes flashed with anger – how was it doing that, controlling her tongue? _I didn’t let you in!_

 _Are you sure about that?_ the phantom responded.

There was no time for this. Aqua would have to control herself. She saw Elsa’s shocked expression and tried to assuage it with a warm smile. “I’m sorry. I’m not from here. But…I have been here for some time. And it’s starting to take a toll.”

_Starting to?_

Aqua ignored it, keeping her focus on Elsa’s light. It had settled again, thankfully. She kept explaining. “I came from the Realm of Light. I used to live in a world called the Land of Departure with my friends Terra and Ven, and my teacher, Master Eraqus.” She paused. _Worth a shot._ “Do any of their names sound familiar to you?” Elsa shook her head. “It’s okay. That was a long time ago.”

“What happened?”

Aqua sighed, looking down at the sand. “There…there was a war,” she explained softly. “My friends and I fought in it to keep the realm safe. We succeeded but…not without a cost.”

“You being stuck in this place.”

“Yes.”

“How long have you been here?”

Aqua sighed. “Twelve years. Probably more.”

“Twelve years?!” The light teetered again.

Aqua was quick to comfort. “It’s okay. I’m close to finding a way out.” She wondered if the words sounded confident still, hoped that the lie would fool Elsa. “You said you had family, right? A sister? What’s her name?”

Elsa was silent again, trying to remember. “I…I don’t know,” she admitted finally. “I want to know. I swear I do. I know I have a sister, but I can’t remember her name. It’s like my memories are fading in and out. I can’t even remember where I was before I came here”

“Try to. Maybe something will come to you.”

Elsa nodded, biting her lip in uncertainty. She closed her eyes, scrunching her face as she put effort into remembering. Aqua watched, continuing to hold her hand. As she did, she felt Elsa’s light begin to seep into her, and her light did the same. It was a comforting feeling, like when she had first seen Mickey here, when she had first met the man on the beach. The specter of the phantom faded from her mind.

“I…I was in my castle,” Elsa finally said. “No. No, I was outside it. I wasn’t by my castle at all,” she said suddenly. “There was a blizzard. Someone…someone had taken me from my castle. We were on a lake, but it was frozen, just like everything else. My powers caused it,” she added quietly. “I-”

She stopped dead. Suddenly, her light plummeted. Aqua gripped her hand tighter. “Elsa!” she called.

“Anna,” Elsa choked out. “Anna. He killed her. Oh my god.” Her breathing quickened, her body shaking. “Oh my god, he didn’t kill her. I did. I killed my sister. I KILLED MY SISTER!”

Aqua felt the horror of the memory take hold of the Princess as she screamed the words. She gripped Elsa’s shoulders as the blue faded from her eyes, shouted her name, started shaking her to bring her back as the waves-

 _The waves!_ Horrified, Aqua realized she had stopped paying attention to them. Those dark waters had reached them, were touching Elsa’s body now. More than touching; they had turned suddenly turbulent, had begun to crash against the shore of the Boundary. Elsa’s dress had been turned pitch black where the water touched it; soon, it would be entirely black. Aqua pulled on Elsa’s hand, screaming her name, trying to get her to stand, but she was frozen, stuck to the ground. The wind whipped wildly around them, blue and blonde hair tossed by the ferocity of the darkness.

The water had her.

“Another light lost to darkness.”

The horned woman spoke so casually it infuriated Aqua. She jumped to her feet, pulling on Elsa’s hand, trying to get the girl to stand. “What’s happening to her?” she demanded of the horned woman.

“Her heart is failing. It will be lost soon.”

“That’s not possible! She’s a Princess of Heart. She can’t lose her heart to darkness!”

The horned woman gazed at her. “Yes, she can. She is.”

“You’re wrong!”

“Anna,” Elsa choked out weakly.

“I’m not.”

Aqua wanted to run at the horned woman, attack her, but Elsa needed her more. Aqua rapidly turned back to her, grabbed her face, forced Elsa to look at her. “Elsa, find my light!” she shouted over the whipping wind. “You have to find my light!”

The rest of the light faded from the blonde’s eyes. With a gasp, Aqua felt her grip on the girl’s body loosen. She was disappearing; the darkness was around her now. The wind cut her skin, the waves crashing against their legs. The darkness swatted at Aqua, tendrils leaping from the water, but she held onto Elsa’s hand. “No!” she screamed. “Not again!”

“Anna,” Elsa moaned, the dark water pulling her in. Her entire body was almost covered in it; soon, her face would be gone too.

 _You failed again_ , the phantom taunted. It began pulling up a memory; Aqua knew it was going to show her Ven, show him being overtaken by Vanitas, show his lifeless body sagging into the throne at the Land of Departure.

“No!” she shouted, blocking the memory from her mind. She stood, both hands gripping Elsa’s as the shadows surrounded the Princess’s face. Her boots dug into the ground, the waves pulling against her grip, her body locked in a tug-of-war with the evil force. “No more! No more souls lost to the dark!”

_Light always falls to darkness._

“Anna.”

“ELSA!” Aqua screamed, trying to summon whatever strength she had left to pull the girl out of the dark. _Not again,_ she thought. _I can’t lose anyone else._

_I…I can’t be alone again._

The doubt was enough. With terror, she watched as the tide reached her feet. It was coming for her too, now, waves crashing against her body, the force almost knocking her to the ground. “No,” Aqua moaned, but it was no use. She loosened her grip. After all this time, her resolve was broken too easily. She felt a surge of dark glee from the phantom inside her. It would have its opportunity now, could finally take what rightfully belonged to it.

Aqua’s heart was finally falling to darkness. The tide turned violent, rushing at her now, splashing against her knees. _It’s better this way,_ she told herself. _I’ll…I’ll be with them again._

_Terra._

_Ven._

She reached one last time for the Wayfinder around her neck. One last breath. A tear fell from her eye, the sorrow too much to bear as the darkness surrounded her.

…

“What did you think of today’s lesson?”

Ven’s face went red, his eyes widening at the question. Aqua sighed gently as Terra choked down a laugh from the other side of the boy. The three were at their usual spot, the cliff where they came to watch the stars together, Ven in the center, Terra and Aqua at his sides. _He has no idea what it was about,_ she realized. She reached out a hand and made to tussle the younger apprentice’s hair. “Ven, you have to start paying attention!” she urged, frustrated but trying to hide it.

Ven shook her hand off. “I-I am!” he pouted, crossing his arms. “It’s just…it’s hard to focus on everything the Master says. He talks for so long and uses such big words and I can’t understand it half the time.” He sighed. “I feel so stupid,” he muttered.

“I know how you feel,” Terra said. Aqua looked over at him, seeing the pity in his eyes for their younger friend. He returned her gaze; she shrugged at him, giving him the go-ahead. “When I was your age-”

“You’re only a few years older than me!”

“I know that, smart aleck.” Terra rolled his eyes, playfully punching Ven on the shoulder. “But I’ve been here a lot longer than you, so listen to the master, alright?”

Aqua laughed at that as Ven’s face somehow reddened even more. In the year since Ven had arrived at the Land of Departure, she and Terra had discovered how easy it was to tease the young boy. Ven was far too easy a target and unfortunately for him, they had had years of preparation and practice annoying each other before he arrived. “Yeah Ven, let’s hear what Master Terra has to say,” she joked.

Terra rolled his eyes at her, but he was smiling. “When I was your age,” he began again, “I used to think the Master’s lectures were so boring and dumb. I came here to learn how to fight and use a Keyblade, you know? Not all this emotional and mystical mumbo jumbo about mastering my feelings and finding my balance. I thought it was pointless, so I tuned it out.”

Aqua smiled, sensing where Terra was headed. “Ven, did you know that Terra and I used to hate each other?” she said, grabbing the boy’s hand.

“W-what?” Ven replied, shocked.

Aqua nodded, laughing as she thought back to those early days. Back then, the mere sight of Terra could drive her into a blind rage. _How things have changed,_ she thought. “It’s true,” she told him. “What’s more is that Terra used to beat me in every fight, _even though_ he was lazy, arrogant-”

“Unfocused, entitled, stupid, couldn’t use magic to save my life,” Terra finished, sharing another laugh with Aqua. Ven was horrified. “If you think you’ve seen Aqua angry, you haven’t,” he told him.

“Yup,” she confirmed. “Terra used to make me so mad I couldn’t see straight. Do you remember that one time-”

“I asked the Master why we even needed to learn magic?” Terra answered. “Oh, with pleasure. You nearly ripped my head off!”

“You deserved it!” she teased. She lowered her voice, doing her best impression of him. “I just don’t get why I need to use magic when I can just use the Keyblade.”

“What if you lose your Keyblade?” Terra had raised his voice, trying to mimic Aqua.

“I’ll just fight them with my bare hands,” Aqua replied. “Unlike you, I can actually fight.”

“You wanna prove it?”

They couldn’t keep it up anymore. Aqua and Terra fell back on the ground, laughing too hard to speak. Ven was spluttering, trying to say something, but he couldn’t get either of them to stop.

Aqua finally calmed down, and she leaned over and waved her hand in front of Terra’s face. “Sorry,” she said to Ven, breathless. “Old memories.”

Terra wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. “Man, I have a hard time believing that used to be us.”

“Me too.”

“You did end up beating me, though,” Terra said. “I could only keep up the act for so long.”

Aqua nodded. “Ven, when the Master first had me fight Terra, I couldn’t win to save my life.”

“Not for long though,” Terra added. They had both calmed again, getting to the point of their lecture. “The Master wanted Aqua to learn to rely on her physical strength more, since she was so good at magic. I was…well…”

“You were a tank,” Aqua answered for him. He smiled at her in gratitude, not wanting to come off as egotistical. “Every time you landed an attack it knocked me to the ground.”

“Right,” Terra nodded. “But you got better. Learned to read me. Learned to sustain a hit. And I kept thinking that I would get by on just strength alone. Then Aqua started winning. Started beating me. Bad. I was out for a week once, after just fighting her for fifteen minutes.”

Aqua smiled. She had felt awful then. That had been a turning point; she had kept up a vigil by Terra’s bed that entire week. The Master hadn’t even tried to stop her. Had probably encouraged it, she now realized with a smile.

“When I came to, the Master had a talk with me. Said that he had given me time to get adjusted. But that if I wanted to keep training, I had to start paying attention to what he was teaching. And I couldn’t just rely on strength alone.”

“Do you see what he means, Ven?” Aqua said. “It’s not just about fighting.”

Ven had been silent through all of that, listening to the two older apprentices. He was silent now, mulling over their words. “It wasn’t that I wasn’t paying attention,” he said softly. “I was. I just…I didn’t agree with what the Master was saying.”

Aqua and Terra looked at each, sharing a brief moment of shock with one another before masking the look on their face. Aqua nodded at Terra, mouthing “Let me.” Ven had been looking down, hadn’t caught the exchange.

She began to speak, but Ven interrupted her. “I know what you’re going to say,” he said, still looking down. “But I just…I don’t think he’s right, about how sadness and sorrow leads to darkness. I get that too much of it is bad,” he added quickly, cutting Aqua’s protest off. “It’s just…well, you feel sad when you lose something you care about. Something you love even. So the sadness…it has to come from light, right? Not darkness.”

He looked off into the distance. “If I ever lost you two, I would be really sad,” he said, his voice stronger. “But I would use that sadness. Funnel it into my strength. I would use it to help people, in your memory. I promise that.”

_Ven’s promise –_

_My promise. Together…always._

She felt the sorrow thriving deep in her heart. She clung to it, feeling the power it had been saving for her all this time. The darkness raged against it, tried to take it, but no – she wouldn’t let it have this, too. It could take her heart, could take her body, but she would keep that sorrow for herself. Her sorrow for her life, her sorrow for Elsa, her sorrow for Terra, Ven, Master Eraqus. That was hers. That dark sorrow belonged to her, nobody else. And she would use it to save them. Just like Ven had promised.

Aqua’s eyes snapped open. “It’s mine,” she growled, her grip on Elsa’s fading hand strengthening again. She pulled, her reserves somehow restored. Power rippled through her body – a new power, one she had never accessed before. A midnight blue aura manifested itself around Aqua’s body, surrounding her in its embrace. The dark tendrils fought with it, but the aura fought back, combating the darkness. Tears fell from her eyes as she continued to connect to the sorrow within her, the power only amplifying as she did. She focused on the white hand in front of her, her only connection to the Princess losing herself to the darkness.

“You can’t have her!” Aqua screamed. The aura crept down her arms, stopping at Elsa’s hand. Aqua could feel the aura reaching for Elsa’s skin, but the darkness was ready for it here, fighting back against it. Aqua’s muscles tightened as she battled the darkness, the wind scarring her skin as its velocity increased, the spray of the salty sea soaking her clothes. “She belongs to the light!”

At the word, Aqua’s vision went white as light suddenly flashed through the Realm of Darkness. The light was intense, stronger even than Elsa’s had been. As it touched Aqua’s skin, its heat spread through her, as if Aqua had spent her entire life in a cave and had only just now experienced the sun. Light filled the realm, dispelling the wind, forcing the water back into the sea. Her new aura crossed over to Elsa’s hand, wrapping it in the warm glow.

 _Elsa!_  
  
Aqua heard the call, shouted as if from miles away yet somehow still louder than the howl of the wind and the crashing of the waves. It echoed through the realm, a hundred _Elsa!_ s fading around them. “Who’s there?! Can you hear me?!” Aqua shouted, willing all her strength into the aura as it slowly crept across Elsa’s fingers. The brilliance of the light blinded her to anything other than Elsa’s hand in front of her. After twelve years in the darkness, she could no longer see in such bright light.

_Elsa, it’s me! It’s Anna!_

“Anna?”

Aqua gasped. Elsa’s face – she could see one of her eyes through the dark again! “Hold on!” Aqua screamed, her own voice now booming through the realm, too.

Aqua!

She knew that voice.

“VEN!” she yelled. Hope spread through her like a fire. The aura crashed through the darkness’s hold on Elsa, dispelling it from her face. Aqua could see her completely again. The darkness struggled to hold her, shaking from the effort. She pulled again, feeling the darkness finally give way. “Ven, I’m here!”

_Hold on! Sora and Anna – they’re trying to reach you!_

“Sora?” How was Sora -

_Elsa, I’m alive! It’s okay!_

“Anna?”

_Elsa, follow the sound of my voice! Come back to me! It’s okay! I forgive you!_

“You…you forgive me?”

“Elsa, listen to her!” Aqua said, pulling on her hand again. “Follow her voice!”

She felt Elsa’s hand tighten around her again as tears fell from the Princess’s eyes. Color began to return to them, a brilliant blue highlighted by the sudden sparkling light around them. The waves stopped crashing. Aqua kept pulling. She could feel the darkness desperately resisting her, but she couldn’t give in. _Just keep pulling!_ she screamed at herself. Her aura swatted at the dark tendrils trying to force her to loosen her grip. “I refuse!” she shouted at them, fire in her eyes. Her body ached from the exertion, but Aqua would not let go. Not now, not ever.

The light flashed again, disappearing. Aqua nearly lost hope, but suddenly, she felt a warm presence standing beside. Shocked, she looked over and saw him. A boy, no older than Ven had been, with spiky brown hair and bright blue eyes. She had seen him before, years ago. Then, he had been only a child. Now, she could see through his body as if he were a ghost. This wasn’t his body, she realized. It was his heart, reaching hers in this awful place. _He’s grown so much,_ she thought, feeling a strange surge of her pride in her gut.

He met her eyes, two sets of blue orbs meeting for the first time in twelve years. He grinned at her “Mind if I help?”

“Sora?” she managed, dumbfounded.

“That’s me!” His hand reached into the darkness, finding Elsa’s other hand. “Come on – let’s get her out!”

Aqua nodded, too surprised to offer any other response. The two Guardians of Light pulled Elsa’s hands, the light in their hearts calling out to hers. Aqua could sense a third light, far away yet somehow still close – Anna’s light, she realized. What strength there was in that heart! _Another Princess,_ she realized. _Two Princesses of Heart. Sisters. Of course._

The strength of the three hearts was too much for the darkness. Aqua and Sora pulled one last time, falling back as Elsa was freed from the darkness. The three landed on the beach with a loud thud, sand rising in the wind. The light was gone completely, its job accomplished. The dark sky returned. The howl of the wind disappeared. The waves were gentle once more. All was still and calm.

No time to waste, though. Panting, Aqua stood, reaching out for Elsa’s hand – but it didn’t come. Shocked, she looked back at the ground around her, but the Princess was gone. Sora, too. Aqua tried to sense them, but no – they weren’t in this realm anymore.

“They’re safe,” Aqua choked out, the realization quickly dawning on her. Her eyes filled with tears of joy. “Elsa’s safe.” She had done it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the positive feedback so far! Knowing people are 1. reading this and 2. enjoying it keeps me really excited to write this. 
> 
> This chapter ended up being a lot longer than I intended (it was longer on my first draft of it), but a lot happens and the story flows better this way, I think. Plus, most of the additional stuff was in the conversations between Aqua and the Phantom and Aqua and Elsa. The Phantom is quickly turning into my personal favorite character to write.
> 
> This fic is canon divergent, but some things that don't happen in canon that happen in this chapter that I want to explain:  
> -Like a lot of people, I wasn't too pleased with the story of Arendelle in KH3. I've read that Nomura originally intended to depict Elsa falling to darkness, which I thought was really cool and could be a great story. So I wanted to diverge from the canon a bit more. The good news is, if you follow the timeline of KH3, Sora is in Arendelle right after Aqua and Ansem fight, so we're cool there.  
> -So with that: I'm probably diverging from established rules about the Princesses of Heart and the whole "incorruptible from darkness thing." I'll explain that in the coming chapters, but basically: extreme trauma opens the hearts to darkness.  
> -The horned woman is who you think she is.  
> -The whole thing with Sora at the end will also be explained in future chapters.
> 
> Also my intention is to keep this story romance free but uh...during the writing and editing of this chapter I may have written myself into shipping Elsa and Aqua. So, stay tuned for something about that.


	4. The Dark Fairy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua interrogates the horned woman. The past comes back to haunt her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mention of a rape allegory.

The breeze tossed the ends of her hair gently. She was still coming down from the high, breaths coming hard and fast, her mind rapidly trying to process all that had just happened. She felt exhausted, ready to drop at any second. However, the rampant thumping of her heart against her chest kept her too wired, her body trembling with excitement. The air around her cackled with electricity, her body dripping in sweat, face red. Despite the dizziness she felt, she remained upright, legs firmly planted at the edge of the shore.

“I…I saved her,” Aqua managed softly. “I did it. I saved her.”

Aqua kept repeating the words. Each utterance steadied her, strengthening her heart. Her memories continued to settle, the scene replaying behind her eyes. As the previous fight replayed behind her eyes, a wide, mad grin took over her features. Something in her had shifted. Aqua could feel the darkness reaching for her, but it could no longer touch her. Her newfound light shielded her from the darkness around her. Doubt tried to worm its way back into her mind, but it could no longer seduce her the way it had. Doubt, despair, loneliness, hopelessness – they couldn’t affect her now. Her sorrow for her friends – no, her love for them had encased her heart in a powerful barrier of its own making.

 _My friends are my power,_ she thought. The new mantra came to her spontaneously, yet the words seemed like an ancient spell cultivated through generations. The phrase echoed softly through the realm, acting as a charm to keep the dark away. Hints of light still shone in the aquamarine glass of the Wayfinder as the darkness finally abated. The waves receded, the tide pulling them away from the island. The evil of the realm swarmed around the island still, but wherever Aqua went now, the darkness could no longer follow. She was too strong for it now, Keyblade or not.

She thought of the Master, of Terra and Ven. They would be proud of her. For the first time in twelve years, Aqua had managed a victory against the forces of darkness. She hadn’t sacrificed herself in vain, hadn’t won a meaningless battle in a war that was already lost. She had won without sustaining heavy damages, however exhausted she might feel now. She could still see the traces of the midnight aura on the edges of her skin. _My new power,_ she realized. The doubts that had plagued her throughout this realm had disappeared, cast away by the newfound strength in her heart.

“I saved her,” she repeated, her voice growing louder with each iteration. “I saved her.” _And now I’ll save myself, then Terra and Ven, then the whole Realm of Light_ , she added in her mind. It was a promise to herself. No longer would Aqua doubt her strength. With it, she had saved Elsa, a Princess of Heart, who had fallen to the darkness. No, not just her – she hadn’t been alone in her fight. Elsa’s sister, Anna, had found them somehow. She was a Princess too, another strong light, and had sensed her sister here in this dark realm. Together, she and Aqua –

Sora. Aqua’s eyes widened as she remembered. Sora had helped, too. The hero she had been told about by the King and the man, the boy she had met all those years ago. He had found Elsa here in the dark. Had found _Aqua_ in the dark. “He found me,” Aqua said aloud. “He found me!” The realization was a rush. The exhaustion left her, the ends of her nerves suddenly on fire. Somebody had finally come for her. Sora had found her here in the dark –

But. He hadn’t come for her. He came for Elsa. Aqua smiled sadly. “Of course he did,” she whispered to herself. She would have done the same. Elsa’s light was more valuable than hers. She had felt Anna’s light first anyway; she must have reached out to find Elsa first. Sora must have helping Anna reach Elsa. Was Sora with them now, out there in the Realm of Light? Had he been there when Elsa had fallen? He must have been. But Aqua…did he even know that Aqua was down here? Had his heart only found her because –

“Ven!” Aqua gasped, tears lining her eyes. His heart had been there too – she had heard his voice! Not as strong as Sora and Elsa, but – wait, how was that possible? Was Ven with Sora, too, then? Her thoughts raced, swirling in her head in a whirlpool of adrenaline. Had Mickey found him after they had closed the door? How could that be? She had never told Mickey where he was. Had Mickey already found her message and found Master Eraqus’s key? It couldn’t be – it had been too soon. Unless…unless Ven’s heart had come back on its own! She nearly jumped for joy. Was that it? “It has to be. It’s the only way!” she shouted exuberantly.

No time to think about how now. Ven was alive! He was in the Realm of Light, awake, well, and safe. And Sora – Sora had to be coming back for her! If Ven was with him, he would know who she was. Sora would come to save her. She kept grinning, tears of joy streaming down her face. How many times had she cried in the twelve years she had been trapped here? Yet only now had she finally found the power in her tears. It didn’t matter now – soon, she would be free of this realm. Sora would rescue her.

Except.

The smile faded from her face, but her confidence remained. The mad joy gave over suddenly to a confident resolve. “No,” she declared to herself. “I said I wasn’t waiting anymore. I’m saving myself.” And she could. It would be hard without Sora’s help, but she could do it. Sora, Riku, Mickey, Ven – they needn’t worry about her anymore. She had saved Elsa, and now, she would save herself.

The only question was how.

Aqua closed her eyes, thinking. She had come to this island in search of a way out after crossing the sea. Had it just been dumb luck that she found it? “Trust in your heart,” Master Eraqus had taught. “If your heart is pure and strong, it will keep you safe.” She smiled warmly at the memory, a hand covering her heart. “May my heart by my guiding key,” she whispered, the memories filling her with warmth. Aqua’s heart had led her to this island from the shores of the Dark Margin. This island had to be special, somehow. Why else would Aqua have ended up here? Why else would Elsa have been here? And that woman had said -

She whipped around, suddenly remembering she wasn’t alone. The horned woman was still behind her. _She didn’t even move._ Not just that: The woman’s face was still blank, her eyes still empty, her cheekbones just as piercing as ever. Looking on her now, Aqua began to question if the incredible events of the past twenty minutes had even happened. _You’re being ridiculous,_ Aqua told herself, narrowing her eyes as she stared at the woman. No reaction to a heart being saved from the innermost clutches of the deepest darkness. No reaction to the Realm of Darkness suddenly filling with light. No reaction to Aqua, somehow still standing before her.

Who was this woman, and what did she know?

“How do I get out of here?” Aqua asked. The authority in her voice shocked her; it had been at least twelve years since she had sounded so confident, maybe longer. “You know something. Tell me.” The command nearly became a threat. It _was_ a threat. Aqua almost wanted to summon her Keyblade to punctuate the statement but cautioned herself. _Don’t push your luck._ Perhaps the weapon would appear now that she had her power again, but she didn’t want to appear foolish in front of this woman.

Not that she would show it. Aqua’s words, for all their promise of danger, simply wafted through the woman’s ears like a gentle breeze. Aqua stepped towards her, refusing to break their gaze. “You will tell me,” she stated slowly, her voice low. “Or I will end you.” She reached a hand out to her side, ready to summon either a weapon or a powerful spell to force the woman to comply.

“You cannot harm me,” the woman replied, finally. Her voice was still empty, barely audible, a whisper.

“Wanna bet?” Aqua smirked. The phantom would be proud of her – _The phantom!_ Where had it gone? She almost spun around, the urge to search for it momentarily distracting her. It had almost taken her body before, but now…Had it been dispelled too, like the rest of the darkness? Deep within her, Aqua felt the slightest tinge of pity for the phantom’s fate. She didn’t want to admit it, but…she had grown attached to it, her specter, her nagging voice of doubt. It had been the phantom who had helped convince her to fight for herself. In a way, Aqua owed it.

 _Focus!_ she told herself. The phantom wasn’t important right now. Getting out was.

“If the Heartless could never harm me, how could you?” the woman asked.

Aqua considered it for a moment. It was a convincing argument. The Heartless devoured everything in this realm. They had almost devoured her. Yet, this woman still stood, not a single scar on her. _I might be outmatched if I fight her,_ she realized. She had felt stronger than she had in twelve years, but she couldn’t risk suddenly becoming reckless. Not now. Not when she was so close.

She lowered her hand. “Who are you?” she asked.

“I am a shell.”

Was it possible that this woman was more frustrating than the phantom? Aqua considered that for a moment, too. She took a steadying breath, calculating her next statement. “I know _what_ you are,” Aqua said slowly. It was a lie, of course. She knew the woman was an empty presence, but that didn’t mean much to Aqua. It didn’t explain how she was here, how she knew what would happen to Elsa. She smirked, remembering the thought. “You were wrong, by the way,” she gloated, attempting a redirect. “About Elsa’s heart. She didn’t fall to darkness.”

The woman didn’t respond immediately. The seconds passed, tense. “We shall see.”

Her voice was monotonous, yet the syllables were somehow dangerous. Aqua redistributed her mana, wondering if she should prepare a defense as she tried to figure out where to go from here. _I feel like I’ve seen her before,_ she thought, remembering the eerie vibe from before. She examined the woman again, wracking her brain for a memory, a hint, anything about who this woman was. She noted the woman’s most prominent figures, hoping they would present an answer. Empty of light and dark. Monotonous voice. Gray eyes. Sharp cheekbones. Horns.

“Horns,” she muttered softly. Who did she know with horns? Maybe it had been one of those creatures she had met on the spaceship. One of the Lost Boys’ costumes, perhaps? No, it was before all that. Before Radiant Garden? Yes, she hadn’t encountered anyone like that there. Not in Cinderella’s world…Sharp cheekbones and horns, a severe, terrifying beauty – She gasped. The memory came to her.

“You’re Maleficent.”

The words echoed through the realm, the memories flashing before Aqua’s eyes. She had fought Maleficent in Enchanted Dominion with Prince Philip, but…Was this really her? The Maleficent Aqua knew had been dressed entirely in black, her skin a putrid green, her eyes black pits surrounded by yellow. That Maleficent had been filled with darkness and all too pleased to call upon its power. Aqua could hear her cackle even now, the vision of Maleficent disappearing in a flash of green flame in her eyes. _“But remember one thing! As long as there is light, there will be darkness. And in time, many more will be drawn to it, and they will all belong to me!”_ She heard the threat again, the words carrying new meaning for Aqua twelve years removed from them.

 _Mickey said that somebody was collecting the hearts of all the worlds,_ she remembered. Had Maleficent made good on her threat? Her eyes narrowed. Was that why she was down here? Had Sora and Mickey defeated her? Her heart must have found its way here after the battle, but…Aqua could not sense a heart in the woman. Even though it had been dark and evil, the Maleficent she had battled in Enchanted Dominion had possessed a heart. And she had already determined that the woman standing before her was not a Heartless.

The horned woman remained silent.

“You’re Maleficent,” she accused again, taking another step toward her. “That’s who you are, right?”

She stared at Aqua, still silent, still empty.

“Answer me,” Aqua ordered. “You know who I am. We fought-”

“I do not know who you are,” she interrupted matter-of-factly, nearly catching Aqua but surprise.

“Yes, you do! Stop lying to me!”

The horned woman continued staring at her, considering the Keyblade Master. Aqua thought she was going to remain silent. She began preparing an attack, ready to give in to the urge, but then the woman spoke again. Just one word, no more than a whisper:

“Curious.”

“What’s curious?” Aqua shot at her, her patience wearing thin.

For the first time, the woman finally moved. Slowly, she turned away from Aqua, staring out across the opposite shore. Aqua waited, measuring out the risks of starting a fight. Master Eraqus wouldn’t look too kindly upon it, but this woman was the one thing preventing her from going home. _I defeated her before_ , Aqua told herself, energy bristling within her. Since when had she turned into a brawler? She was turning into Terra. _Too many fights,_ she thought. _But I’m not done yet._

“Somehow…you know it,” the horned woman answered, still turned away from her. Aqua opened her mouth to ask what was meant by that, but she continued, surprising her. “The name I used to be called before I came to this place.”

It _was_ Maleficent! For some reason, she felt small swell of pride for being correct. She could only imagine the phantom’s remark for _that_. Aqua stepped forward. “Did you lose yourself to darkness?” Aqua asked, trying to keep the mockery out of her voice. _She must have failed and lost her heart,_ she thought. _Just as I knew she would._ “When you tried to destroy the worlds? Mickey and Sora defeated you, and now you’re trapped here.”

Maleficent ignored her. “How do you know it?” she asked, more to herself. Slowly, she turned back to face Aqua. “I have met seen more souls on this shore than I can count. Souls from my past, who knew me. Yet none of them knew the name.” She looked at Aqua again. Aqua’s heart jumped into her throat. The blank expression had shifted. The severe face had softened as Maleficent considered the puzzle, her confusion clear for Aqua to read. “How do you know it?”

“I fought you,” Aqua replied, her voice almost breathless, again moving closer. “In Enchanted Dominion.” _Is this a trick?_ she wondered. _Does she not remember me? And why does she look so different, so…human?_

“Enchanted Dominion…Hm. I don’t know the place.” Maleficent examined her again, one long finger rising to stroke her chin as she thought.

“That was your world,” Aqua said.

“My world?” she asked, blinking once.

“Your…your land. Where you were from.”

“Hm.” Aqua watched as Maleficent continued to slowly move back and forth her chin, the dark fairy considering the situation. “No…My land was called the Moors.”

“The Moors?” Aqua asked, confused. Perhaps they had different names for the same world? _Does it matter?_ she asked herself. She was getting off-track. “You had stolen the Princess’s heart,” she explained, still slowly moving toward Maleficent. _Because you were manipulated,_ she added in her mind bitterly. “I fought you so that the Prince could reawaken her.”

“Princess?” Maleficent repeated. “Yes…yes, I remember. Princess Leila. But, stealing her heart?” She paused. “No, that doesn’t sound familiar.”

Aqua stopped; she had come closer to the witch than she intended. “No,” she said, dumbfounded. “Princess Aurora. Who’s Princess Leila?”

Maleficent looked at her, meeting her gaze. _She’s still not attacking me,_ Aqua realized. That was… _unlike_ her. “I don’t recognize that name,” Maleficent said, ignoring her question again. She cocked her head slowly to one side, as if to get a better look at Aqua, her face still wearing the same puzzled expression. “Who are you?”

Somehow, Aqua found the situation reversed. _Now I’m being asked who I am?_ she thought, annoyed. She sighed. “My name is Aqua,” she said, not bothering to hide the frustration from the fairy. “Master Aqua,” she corrected. “I am a Keyblade Master, sworn to protect the light. We met before. We fought. I defeated you,” she added.

Maleficent continued staring at her. Aqua saw her eyes cloud over. _She’s remembering something,_ she realized. Her pulse quickened.

“A Keyblade Master,” Maleficent repeated. “Yes. I’ve heard of them before. Met them.”

“Yes, you met me. And two others. Terra, and Ven-”

“No,” she interrupted. Aqua quieted. “I don’t recognize those names. It…Hm.” She paused. Slowly, she walked away from Aqua. The Master remained rooted to the spot, trying to figure out what was happening. _Does she…really not know?_ Maleficent had met all three of them, she was certain.

“Mickey and Sora, then,” Aqua tried. “Or Riku. They all had Keyblades.”

“No, not those names…but I do remember two,” Maleficent said, still moving along the shore as if unaware of her body. “Yes…Two young men, I remember. We met some time ago…One with black hair, the other with silver…Ah.” She stopped and turned to Aqua. “Eraqus and Xehanort.”

Aqua froze, her heart fully lodged in her throat now. She was stunned. _Master Eraqus met Maleficent? She knew Xehanort?_ Thinking the monster’s name again almost caused Aqua to vomit in disgust, but she gathered herself. “This can’t be,” she muttered, soft so that only she could hear. It was impossible. The first time that Maleficent had met Xeha…that monster, it had been when _he_ went to the Enchanted Dominion to lay a trap for Terra. When he had told Maleficent the secrets of the Princesses of Heart.

 _Did he wipe her memories?_ Aqua didn’t know the extent of that monster’s powers. It was plausible. It was capable of more wicked things than a memory wipe. But…how long ago had this been? Aqua knew that Master Eraqus had been apprentices with it. It was his only other colleague as a Keyblade Master, beside the retired Master Yen Sid. Had…had they been friends? It sickened her to think it. Had…had he considered it a friend? _Did he really not know what it was capable of?_ she thought. _How could it have fooled the Master?_ Master Eraqus…the phantom’s taunts echoed in her ears: “Everyone keeps secrets.”

It had been there, at her Mark of Mastery exam, as an honored guest. It had brought Ventus into her life. _I trusted it,_ Aqua realized, suddenly furious. _We all did, and he preyed on that._ She looked at Maleficent again. Had she trusted it, too? Was that why the Maleficent Aqua knew had been so evil, because it had stolen her light, too? She felt a pang of pity for the Dark Fairy at the thought.

Aqua stood silently, ascertaining the current situation, unsure of what to say next. _I’m getting distracted,_ she realized. _I need to go home._ The woman wouldn’t tell her, though. Perhaps Aqua should just leave the island, continue on her way. There had to be something else out there, something that would lead her to a door. Yet…she felt regret for the woman. Pity, even. And…

Aqua sighed. _I can’t leave her here alone._  
  
“You said before that this place was the Boundary,” Aqua tried, hoping she would engage her. “You said I would find out soon enough.”

Maleficent was silent. Aqua waited and, for once, her patience was rewarded. “Yes. It is the furthermost edge of the Realm of Darkness. This is where hearts lost to darkness cross over.”

Aqua’s pulse raced ahead of her brain again. She calmed herself before speaking. “But I didn’t come here when-”

“You did not lose your heart to darkness,” Maleficent replied. The blank expression had returned. “You lost your entire being to darkness, body and soul. You entered through a different point.”

Aqua nodded. That much, at least, made sense. “Okay. So…when I fell here-”

“You chose to come here,” Maleficent interrupted. “There are those who come to this realm voluntarily, through dark corridors, who have yet to succumb to the darkness in their hearts or are otherwise immune from the darkness. Like you, they maintain their form. Only those who have given into the darkness in the hearts – or those taken by the Heartless – arrive here.”

Aqua processed the information. _Dark corridors,_ she thought. Surely Mickey hadn’t come through a dark corridor? “How do these hearts arrive?” Aqua asked.

“They appear. Some fade immediately, others take time.” She glanced momentarily at the spot where Elsa had been. “ _She_ lasted longer than any others. Had it not been for you, she would have faded entirely.”

That much Aqua had realized. _So they just appear_ …That was not helpful. “There are also doors to this realm, though,” she stated, though unsure of it. Maleficent didn’t respond. Aqua sighed. “So…Elsa was here because she gave in to the darkness of her heart. But…the Elsa I saw – that was her heart.”

“Yes.”

“And so you…What do you do?” Aqua asked. “Why are you here?”

Maleficent looked at her again. “I watch.”

“So you don’t even try to help them?” Aqua shot at her, furious again. _She stood by while Elsa cried,_ Aqua remembered.

“I am…incapable.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I have no powers,” Maleficent responded. “Before, I cautioned you not to attack me. It is not because I would overpower you.” Had it read her thoughts like the phantom had? “It is because you would have wasted your energy.” She paused. Her eyes considered the Keyblade Master for a moment. “I do not exist.”

“That…that makes no sense! If you don’t exist, how are you standing in front of me?” Aqua demanded.

“I do not know.”

Aqua wanted to scream with frustration, but she knew that it wouldn’t be helpful now. Instead, she turned on the spot and walked away from the woman, back toward the other shore. She stared out at the waters in the direction from which she had come, gathering her thoughts. “What’s the point of this?” she muttered. Her head was starting to ache from the frustration of all the riddles. How she wished she could write down all that was happening to her, just to help gather her thoughts!

She closed her eyes, pressing a hand to the Wayfinder. Her ears found the gentle ebb and flow of the waves again, calming her once more. Could she just leave again, without answers? If she asked the woman to come with her, would she follow? Aqua knew both answers were no. She sighed. “Okay,” she muttered. “I can figure this out.” _But I’m losing time. Think. What do you know?_

This woman – she was Maleficent. She had to be, even if she didn’t resemble the Maleficent Aqua remembered. _Is that important?_ Aqua considered it, but no, it wasn’t. Whatever the explanation was, it wouldn’t help her find home. _How did she end up here?_ Yes, that was a better question. She turned to face the witch again. “When you came here,” Aqua asked, trying to keep her voice calm, “how did you appear?”

“I do not know.”

“How long ago did you come here?” Aqua asked.

“I do not know.”

 _Of course,_ Aqua thought to herself, annoyed. She crossed her arms, trying to think. _If she knew Master Eraqus…she said he had been young._ A young Master Eraqus – how young? “When you met M- um, Eraqus,” she began again, unused to saying the Master’s name by itself, “do you remember how old he was?”

Maleficent considered the question. “He was young,” she answered. “Perhaps…had just become a man.”

 _Just become a man._ Aqua didn’t know Master Eraqus’s age, but he was far removed from his youth, she was certain. If she had to guess, from when she had met him…he had to at least be in his fifties. “And how long between meeting him and arriving here?”

Maleficent was silent again. “I think…no, it wasn’t long at all. No more than a few years.”

 _And I’ve been down here for twelve,_ Aqua thought. _So if Master Eraqus had known her in his twenties, that means…_

 _Oh my god._ Aqua’s eyes widened. _She’s been down here for forty years._

Aqua stepped back towards her, confusion giving way to the utmost pity. Forty years in the dark…she couldn’t fathom it. She had barely survived a decade, had almost succumbed an hour ago. She shuddered in spite of herself. _She said she didn’t know Aurora. That the princess she knew was named Leila._ Were the two related? Was it possible Aurora was Leila’s daughter, and Maleficent had known Leila before she gave birth? She wouldn’t know Aurora, then…But…no, it didn’t make sense. Aqua had met Maleficent _twelve_ years ago, when Aurora was almost a full-grown woman. She couldn’t have been down here for forty years.

 _This…is this really Maleficent?_ Aqua breathed, suddenly nervous. _What am I dealing with?_

“Maleficent,” she said slowly. “When…when I met you, in the Realm of Light. That was…that was at least forty years after you met Master Eraqus.”

Maleficent looked at her, her steely eyes betraying a slight surprise at the answer, but she was silent.

Aqua continued. “Master Eraqus taught me,” she explained. “And…and I knew X-xehanort, too.” She shuddered. “They were old men when I knew them. So…I don’t understand how you can have been here for so long. Why you look like that.” She met the dark fairy’s eyes, trying to see if she could read any emotion in them. Maleficent held her glance, steely gray eyes meeting deep blue ones. Neither woman spoke for several seconds; Aqua broke first. “I…are you really Maleficent?”

She was silent again. She turned her head, looking off to the side of the island. “I was,” she said softly, her eyes growing suddenly distant. Deep inside her voice, Aqua could hear it. The nostalgia. The sorrow. It nearly broke Aqua’s heart.

 _They’re the same,_ Aqua realized. _The same person. Only…something happened. Something awful._ “What…what happened?” she asked, voice small. The possibilities terrified her, but she needed to know. It was the only way she could leave.

Maleficent looked at her, eyes steely suddenly. Her expression had darkened, a storm crossing her face. “You wish to leave this place,” she stated, her voice suddenly intense. Aqua took a frightened step back, afraid the witch had read her mind. “Why do you remain here?”

Aqua avoided meeting her eyes. “I…I don’t feel good about leaving you alone in this place,” she admitted. “I know how it feels.”

“And you think that if you pity me, I will give in and tell you how to leave?”

Aqua hadn’t expected the anger, but something within the fairy had broken. She strode towards Aqua, her eyes suddenly alight with flames, black pupils dilating within the gray. The distance was covered far faster than Aqua expected. Maleficent reached out, her pale hands grabbing Aqua’s shoulders. Her grip was ironclad, nails digging into Aqua’s skin.

“N-no!” Aqua protested. “That’s not it-”

“Do not lie to me!” she commanded, her voice suddenly furious. “You think you can use me, like they did? Oh yes, a Keyblade Master!” Maleficent spat at her. “Yes, I remember your kind now. Those foul little creatures, running in to interfere in the affairs of my home!”

“Maleficent – I-I promise-”

“Silence!” Maleficent’s voice thundered. Aqua could see darkness gathering around the two; the wind picked up. “Those pathetic little heroes thought they could save the world, yet none of them could see that they were destroying it! They were so obsessed with light that they were blinded to the realities of this world!” She threw Aqua from her suddenly, her body landing several feet away, knocking the wind out of Aqua. “You pride yourself on protecting your light, yet it was a Keyblade Master who did this to me!”

She spun around, her robe falling from her back as she did so. Aqua gasped, her eyes taking in the horrifying sight. Two black stumps protruded from Maleficent’s back, crude, grotesque shapes, clearly hacked at by some horrible instrument. “Wings,” Aqua choked. “You used to have wings.”

Had Master Eraqus done this? _No,_ she thought, her confidence shaking.

Maleficent recovered her robe, the fury in her eyes digging into Aqua. “The last memory I have,” she growled, her voice carrying a danger worse than anything Aqua had ever experienced, “was waking to this sight, bleeding, screaming in agony, because I trusted a _Keyblade Master_.”

“No,” Aqua tried, weakly, a tear coming to her. She coughed several times, still winded, trying to raise herself off the ground. “Master Eraqus would never!”

“Eraqus?” Maleficent’s voice was venomous. She suddenly sounded exactly as Aqua had remembered, all the fury of hell in her voice. The witch strode towards her again, picking Aqua up by the neck as if she weighed nothing. Aqua’s hands instinctively flew to the hand choking her, trying to pry the fingers from her throat. “No, proud Eraqus would never!” Maleficent shouted, the wind howling around them. She brought Aqua closer, snarling at her. Aqua tried to look away, but she couldn’t. “He would never allow such horrors, never acknowledge them, but would gladly stand aside while someone else committed them! He let his dear little friend do this to me! Let Xehanort destroy me, in the name of the Light!”

Aqua was sure Maleficent would kill her then and there, but the fairy threw her on the ground again, storming away in a rage. Aqua stayed on the ground, sobbing, her heart a mixture of painful sorrow and hot anger. She wanted to scream, rage around the island, give in to her fury. “Xehanort,” she choked through her sobs. How many more atrocities was she going to allow him to commit? _He_ was the reason Ven and Terra were lost, the reason the Master was dead, the reason she and Maleficent were doomed to wander this realm for eternity. When was he going to pay for his crimes?

 _No more tears,_ she told herself. _You found the power in your sorrow. Now find it in your rage._ Suddenly, her path forward was clear. Ven was safe now. Together, they would save Terra. And then Aqua would find Xehanort and drive a Keyblade through his heart. She would end this once and for all.

“I’ll kill him,” she growled, the sobs coming to a halt. She found the strength to stand, raising herself off the ground slowly. “For what he did to you. For what he did to all of us.” Her voice was low as she raised her eyes to find Maleficent. She had crossed to the other side of the small island, her back turned to her. Aqua could see her shoulders rise and fall with her breathing; it was coming rapidly. The wind had calmed again; the darkness had disappeared from around her. Maleficent was no longer a shell, but Aqua would never have wished this for her. “I promise you, Maleficent. I will destroy him for what he did to you.”

Maleficent was silent, still turned away from her. Aqua remained where she was, keeping her eyes trained on the fairy. She would not speak until Maleficent spoke again, would not move from where she stood.

It seemed as though eons had passed when Maleficent finally, slowly, turned to face her again. “You promise…” Maleficent whispered, her face dark. The words cut Aqua’s skin. “Yes, of course you do. A Keyblade Master and her guarantee.” She slowly stepped toward Aqua, yet the Master kept her gaze. The fairy stopped, sensing her resolve. She examined Aqua again, silence once more passing between the two.

“I made that promise, too.” Maleficent was quieter now. Her words were slow, measured, guarded. At any second, they could become weaponized. She was waiting for Aqua to betray her again. “I remember it now. Eraqus and Xehanort.” Her words were soft, barely audible. “They once told me that I was one of seven pure lights. That I had to be protected at all costs. And…they did, for a time. Kept me safe from those who would do me harm.” She paused. “No matter how strong I became, my light made me a target. But…they were not just my protectors. We became friends. They would come whenever I called upon their help, stayed even after they should have left. Slowly, they began to visit me on their own, without my asking.

“Eraqus…he told me stories of his home, of the infinite mountain cities, each with a citadel on top. How the people he knew there were so wonderful and kind, filled with light that could rival even mine. He promised that one day he would take me there. Xehanort…” her eyes fell. “He told me of the worlds he had seen, ones that only he had explored. Beautiful, strange stories, ones I couldn’t even believe, creatures I couldn’t begin to imagine. I think…he took pride in telling me. Told me once that I was the only one who understood why he wanted to explore the realm, even though it was technically forbidden.

“One night…A young man came to the Moors. I had known him, in my youth. His name was Stefan. I had…I had been foolish. Had grown to care for him, against the warnings of my elders. But, in time, he abandoned me, as all humans who found my realm eventually do. When he came to me again, he was full-grown. There was a war in the humans’ realm. He had come to ask for our help. We refused, but he snuck back in. He knew the extent of my powers. He tried to hurt me, thinking that he could kidnap me and force me to serve him. Eraqus and Xehanort were there, though. They battled him; he was no match for their might. Eraqus nearly destroyed him. Xehanort used his magic to wipe Stefan’s memories so that he would forget all about the Moors.

“My friends had saved me yet again. But…in time, Xehanort…he became just like Stefan. As he grew older, he, too, became obsessed with my power. I tried to warn Eraqus, but he had stopped visiting. Had been named to a high, honorable position at their home, could no longer travel freely. Lost track of Xehanort. Xehanort…I could tell he was becoming corrupted, becoming obsessed with dark powers beyond his control. But I was a fool. He was beautiful, intelligent, charming…gifted. He knew me more intimately than I had ever been known. And unlike Eraqus, he hadn’t abandoned me. I should have seen his interest in me for what it was. Obsession. Eraqus never saw it either. And by the time I learned what he was…it was too late. He…he cut my wings off. Took them from me just so he could know what power I held. Destroyed my pure light.

“When I recovered…I swore to myself that I would never allow myself to trust another soul like that again. I would have my revenge, against men like Xehanort and Stefan, men like Eraqus. I would rain hellfire down on all the worlds, until all those who would harm innocent souls perished. But to do that, I would have to cast off all emotions, all my light, everything about who I was. I couldn’t use the magic I needed if I still had ties to the light. And so I found an ancient spell, one that would separate the light and darkness within me. With it, I would hide the light side away until the war was finished. I would use the darkness to take my revenge.

“But I was weak, too injured to cast the spell correctly. The darkness within me took control during the casting. It took its own form, sculpted itself into a figure that looked exactly like me. She was too powerful for me to control. She said...she promised she would take revenge for me, but she couldn’t let me go about suddenly having regrets and ruining her plans. So she ripped all the remaining light from my body. I watched as it scattered through the air while she laughed. She mocked me, asking if I was happy to see what she had done. ‘There,’ she had said. ‘Now you will never know pain again.’ The person I had been…she no longer existed.

“The magic she used was unlike any I had ever seen. I don’t think even she knew the source. It was how I ended up here. This is where she trapped me. But I kept the memories of what happened to me. And…” she drifted off, eyes distant. “I saw what she did. The souls she sent here. My friends, the people of the Moors, of the Kingdom, innocent souls of other worlds…I tried to feel for them. I knew I should. But I couldn’t feel anything anymore. So I stopped trying. I resigned myself to my fate. Their fate.” Maleficent stopped. She had turned away from Aqua, had directed her gaze back towards the water. Suddenly, now, she turned to face Aqua again. Her face was empty once more, but when she spoke, her voice was cold.

“So you see,” she muttered. “I know that a Princess of Heart can fall to darkness. And so long as they are pawns in the wars of Light and Dark, they will continue to fall.”

Despite her promise, Aqua had started silently crying during Maleficent’s speech. As Maleficent finished, Aqua’s head fell, tears hot on her cheeks. She was ashamed. Ashamed that her Master hadn’t saved Maleficent. Ashamed that she had been determined to use the fairy to help her escape. Ashamed that she had let Xehanort continue to get away with his crimes in the Realm of Light. Ashamed to call herself a Keyblade Master, knowing now what horrors those who were granted the title allowed to exist.

And…she was angry.

 _Use your sorrow,_ she told herself. _Use your anger. Right this._

“Maleficent,” she said softly, after several minutes of silence. “I promise you, I will set this right.”

Maleficent scoffed, walking away from her again. “Of course you do,” she muttered as she strode from her. You heroes always have to pledge-”

Aqua raised her head. “Xehanort killed Master Eraqus,” she stated, her voice dead. Maleficent stopped upon hearing the words “He may as well have killed my friends, Ven and Terra. And countless others. He took everything from me. He’s the reason I’m stuck here.” She stepped forward, looking down again. “My…my struggles don’t even begin to compare with yours. But…”

She looked back at the spot where Elsa had sat before.

“If I don’t return to the Realm of Light, I can’t stop him. And more innocents will be hurt because of him.”

She prayed that her words would be heard. Silence passed between the two of them. She kept her eyes on the woman, but Maleficent kept her head turned away from her, looking out at the sea. Aqua was determined to wait as long as it took for her answer, even though she had no way of knowing what the answer would be. _This is my last chance,_ she thought. _She’s the only one who can help me now. And I’m the only one who can help her._

The waves continued to tickle the shore, the gentle breeze tossing the two women’s hair every now and then.

Aqua waited.

“There are three ways to leave this Realm.”

Aqua nodded. Her heart raced, but she contained the excitement, stayed silent. Maleficent still refused to face her.

“The first is to find a Door to Light. Some time ago, several of these doors opened. Darkness spread out from them into the Realm of Light, but they also allowed for those like you to enter this realm. They have all been closed, since.” Aqua knew this. King Mickey had explained this to her. “Keyblades of Darkness – those created by this realm – can open them. Select Keyblades from the Realm of Light can also open them, but only by those with extreme strength of heart.

“The second is a dark corridor. I have seen those who move in darkness utilize them. But they chip away at the light in your heart. And…they are dangerous to those who are not armored against them.” She looked at Aqua now. Her face was otherwise expressionless again, aside from a faint concern that Aqua could barely read. “It would be…inadvisable to proceed through them. The corridors are a different darkness. Over time, they will corrupt you more than this realm itself. Without proper protection and proper use, they can leave you stranded in nothingness forever, lost between the realms of light and dark.

“The third…is difficult.” Maleficent’s voice was almost a sigh. “I have only seen it happen once, some time ago. Two boys, lost to this realm in body and soul, but recalled to the light by a powerful heart and their connection to it. The connection must thread through the boundaries that separate the two worlds, maintain its ties to both the light and the dark to offer a way home.”

“Was that-” Aqua began.

Maleficent cut her off. “What happened with the Princess was a different process,” she explained. “She was aided by the presence of two hearts in the Realm of Light and one heart here in the Realm of Darkness. You have no such luxury. And, as I remind you, Elsa had only lost her heart. It simply needed to be awoken in the Realm of Light for her to return.”

Aqua bit her lip but nodded in affirmation. None of the three options sounded promising. She almost wanted to ask Maleficent if she knew of any other ways, but she couldn’t pressure the woman anymore than she already had. “Thank you,” she said softly, bowing her head.

Maleficent didn’t respond.

 _Three ways out,_ Aqua thought to herself. The first was out of the question. Aqua didn’t have a Keyblade. And unless she could find one…No, that too was impossible. Mickey had found the Keyblade of Darkness when he had closed the door, and he probably still had it. The second option was more promising, but Aqua had no idea how to create a dark corridor. And even if she did, it seemed suicidal to attempt it. Nothingness seemed somehow worse than darkness, worse than the terror the waves contained. Even if she was lost to darkness, she still existed.

The third, however…Ven and Sora had made contact with her. Anna, too. And now that Elsa was in the Realm of Light again…All she needed was a connection. But… _That’s just me waiting to be rescued,_ she realized sadly. And time had passed since then, even faster in the Realm of Light. Sora and Ven knew where she was. They had seen her here. If they knew how to save her, they would have done so by now.

Had she made a mistake, leaving the beach?

Aqua turned and faced the waters again. The thought of travelling back across them scared her. She had barely survived the first trip. Yes, she was stronger now, but she still didn’t have a Keyblade. If she returned to the beach, the Heartless would be waiting for her. Had Mickey made it to the Dark Margin by now, found her message? Would he cross the waters as she once had? Or, perhaps she could continue her journey in the opposite direction. What lay beyond this shore? Maybe the phantom would come back to her again, keep her company as she traveled.

“If I leave here-” she began.

“You will forsake yourself to the dark realm once more,” Maleficent replied. “It may appear as though there is an ocean in the other direction, but it leads to the other end of the realm. The Boundary is simply a weak point. It is meant for those souls crossing from the Realm of Light, not for those crossing the other way.”

Aqua sighed again, looking down. _So that’s not possible._ There had to be a way, but she was running out of time. The Realm of Light needed her – and she needed to return to it. Maleficent needed her to return to it. Ven and Terra needed her. Riku and the King needed her. Sora needed her.

She thought of Sora’s carefree grin – so similar to Ven’s! It was still hard to believe that the boy she had known had grown into the young man she had seen. And to look so much like Ven…it was nearly impossible. They had to have been shocked to see the similarities in their appearance. In spite of herself, she laughed. “Don’t give up hope,” she whispered softly, looking up and out to sea.

In the distance, she saw a raft sailing to their shore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was an emotional experience for me, for pretty obvious reasons. I've been hoping KH would incorporate some of the elements of the Maleficent movie into the games - I think the door was opened for a redemption arc for her in KH2, but oh well. 
> 
> Some things to explain:
> 
> -Aqua has no idea about Sora's Heart Hotel, so when she sensed Ven's heart speaking to her, she assumes that he's awake. The euphoria of the whole situation also blinds her to reality.
> 
> -This Maleficent is Not A Nobody, I Promise. Seriously. I thought about doing that for five seconds, saw the can of worms I would open by doing it, and chose not to do it. And following that, the Maleficent in the Realm of Light is also not a Heartless. She's more like what happened when Ven and Vanitas were separated.
> 
> -The dialogue involving Eraqus and Xehanort in their youth is very obviously not from canon (yet, at least), but it's an idea I've had since I started writing this fic that might be explored more in a separate story once this is done. Maleficent is described as a pure light in the Maleficent movie.
> 
> I think that's it! Let me know in the comments if there are any other questions. Thanks again for all the feedback! It helps a lot, especially since Chapter 5 and 6 are giving me a hard time.


	5. A Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I believe this is your ride," Maleficent uttered.
> 
> Aqua ponders leaving the safety of the Boundary as doubts about her past and future take hold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Brief mention of blood as part of a larger fight scene. Violence depicted is nothing beyond what's shown in the games.

Had he been dreaming? That could explain the wondrous and fantastical sights he had seen. A snow-covered mountain…a beautiful blonde princess belting out a song as a sparkling castle of ice rose around her…A talking snowman…A giant wolf, raining down balls of inky darkness from the sky…A blue haired woman, surrounded by a mystical aura, standing next to him in a world devoid of light…It was too ridiculous to be real, but felt too real to be a dream.

He saw a boy now, standing with his back to him. They were surrounded by darkness, but they were both standing on something. It felt like he had been here before, had seen this boy before. He recognized him. He had blonde hair, was the same height as him, looked _so familiar_ …who was he? Wait. He was crying. Silently, but he could tell the tears were running by the way his shoulders heaved. He wanted to reach out to him, but he hesitated. What was he supposed to say? _I don’t think I can make this any better,_ he thought.

The name came to him. “Roxas?” he asked quietly, uncertain of what to do.

The boy turned to him, a smile on his face. The boy wasn’t sad at all! Even more, it wasn’t Roxas. He _looked_ like Roxas, impossibly so. But something told him it wasn’t the Nobody at all.

“She’s alive!” the boy cried, his eyes gleaming with hope.

“Who is?” he asked.

Just as he saw the boy’s lips part to give the answer, the dream faded, as dreams tend to do. He fought to stay asleep, wanted to wait just three more seconds to hear the name, but his blue eyes had other ideas. As Sora awoke inside the castle of Arendelle, the name slipped through his grasp, replaced by the memories of his previous battles. Donald and Goofy’s exclamations claimed his ears, obscuring his focus as the last remnants of the dream slipped away from his grasp. He couldn’t remember her name.

But there was somebody who did. From deep within Sora’s heart, Ven breathed her name:

“Aqua.”

…

“It’s a raft,” Aqua said, dumbfounded. She was certain of it, as strange as was. A makeshift wooden raft was in the distance, rising and falling with the flow of the waves. A vast white sail hung unfurled from the thin mast jutting from the center of the raft. She squinted, trying to make out any more details. She couldn’t see any figures on the raft, which only unsettled her. Either there had been people on it and something had happened to them, or the ship was piloting itself. Neither thought brought her much comfort. Nor did either explain how it had suddenly appeared off in the distance.

She turned to Maleficent. The fairy had approached the shore as well. She too stared at the raft while Aqua wondered if she was as confused as she. The Master was hesitant to engage the fairy again after their conversation, but it was Maleficent who spoke first. “Curious,” she said. The word had the same lack of expression as when she had first spoken to Aqua.

“You…you’ve never seen that before?” Aqua asked.

“I…have not.” Maleficent spoke slowly, her own eyes narrowing. “I have seen many souls cross this place but…I have never seen that.”

“I can’t sense anything about it,” Aqua observed.

“Nor can I.”

They waited. The unmanned raft was somehow heading towards the island, but it was moving slowly. The breeze was too gentle, if the wind had any control over it at all. Aqua was unsure whether the wind guided the raft or if it was some outside source. Was it, too, controlled by the darkness, like so many other things in this realm? Who or what had summoned it here? Why was it sailing to them, specifically? Perhaps the reason she couldn’t sense anything about the raft was because it was just that: a raft. An object. She considered it for a second. “That can’t be it,” she muttered, mostly to herself. A foolish thought. Nothing in this realm could be so ordinary.

“What can’t be?”

“Nothing,” she muttered. She looked down at her hand, then back out toward the water. “Let me try something.” She reached out, gathering mana. “Thunder!”

The spell burst from the sky, lightning striking mere feet away from the raft. Upon impact, the spell sprayed waves of water up into the air, showering the area around them. The downpour blocked their view momentarily. Yet when it cleared, the raft remained intact, seemingly unaffected. Even more, it had moved ever so slightly closer to the Boundary.

Aqua narrowed her eyes. It was a risk…

Another lightning strike burst from the sky, this time directly above the raft. She heard the impact, waited for the sight to settle. And again, the raft was unharmed, this time surviving a direct hit from a powerful thunder spell.

Aqua’s knees shook. She took several steps back from the shore, panting. Then, for the first time in hours, she voluntarily fell to the ground, exhaustion overcoming her essence. An involuntary moan of relief came from deep within her. How long had it been since she last sat down? The physical and emotional exhaustion was beginning to take its toll. She hadn’t rested since before that monster had found her on the beach. She had kept her body and mind active while crossing the ice, constantly using magic to do so, always on the verge of passing out. Even when speaking with Elsa, she had only knelt on the ground next to the girl, had kept up a constant conversation. And then everything that had happened since then…It was beginning to be too much. _What I wouldn’t give to fall asleep,_ she thought. The idea was addictive to her body; at the word, she worried her eyes would give in to the wish. But she couldn’t sleep again. Not after what had happened the last time. Not when she was so close.

“It has to be charmed in some way,” Aqua said aloud, indulging in the luxury to stay seated. All the power she had earned after saving Elsa had gone directly to her heart, leaving none for her body. Every inch of her ached, and her mental and emotional capacities were thoroughly drained after the conversation with Maleficent. She couldn’t give in yet, though. She closed her eyes, pressing a hand to her temples. _They need you,_ she reminded herself, massaging the skin. “Some sort of spell or magic or…something.”

Maleficent was silent, still standing at the shore, watching the raft make its approach. The emotions displayed so shortly ago had disappeared. She was empty once more, as if nothing had happened. Dully, Aqua wondered if Maleficent had any plans to discuss the previous hour with her. What had prompted the memories, the emotions? Did it even matter? She had given Aqua all the information she had, Aqua was sure of that. It wasn’t much assistance to Aqua, but…it was something. Aqua owed her for it. Owed her for more than just the information.

“I meant what I said,” she said quietly, eyes half-closed. “I will kill him.”

She hoped Maleficent trusted the promise in the words. Before all this, it might have startled her to so casually vow to kill. However, the longer she remained in this realm, the more convinced she became that Xehanort deserved death. _He deserves a fate worse than death,_ she corrected herself bitterly. She gazed at the waters, imagining him succumbing to their depths, enduring the trauma she and Elsa and Maleficent had been put through. _He’d probably love it here,_ she realized. Death would be too kind for him, but it would rid the world of him. At the very least, it would keep Ven, Terra, Maleficent, and countless innocents safe from his maniacal plans.

 _What is he planning?_ she thought. _Something to do with a girl_ …It had come here for the man, the one it had called Master. _I was just in its way,_ she realized. It hadn’t come looking for her. No, of course not. Xehanort had never included her in his plan. He had always been after Ven and Terra. To him, Aqua was just a distraction to be rid of, a thorn in his side. He had almost succeeded, too. It had only been because of her and Mickey that the X-Blade had been broken, leaving Kingdom Hearts locked to him for good.

Or so she had thought. “He’s still after Kingdom Hearts,” Aqua muttered. That was the only plausible situation. And that was why, when she had seen Terra become possessed by it some time ago, it had asked her where Ven was. Xehanort still wanted Kingdom Hearts, and he needed the X-Blade to do it. Only Ven had been able to summon it. _But he hasn’t found him_ ¸ she thought smugly. _He got out on his own. He’s safe. Xehanort lost again._

Aqua sighed, losing herself in her thoughts. How many others in the Realm of Light had fallen victim to that monster’s plots? The man she had been with had to be another. She thought of him sadly, wondering if he was okay, regretting that she hadn’t been able to stop the Seeker from taking him. Where had he gone? How long ago it felt now. Aqua felt like a different person from that girl who had sat with him on the beach, naively waiting for Mickey to rescue her.

 _Did Mickey find my message?_ she wondered. Surely by now he had come to the Realm of Darkness again, had seen her message. He knew Sora, after all. Would the boy have talked to him, had told him where Aqua was? Or maybe…she sighed. If Sora was anything like Ven, then he would have run off to find her on his own. And if Ven was with him...She almost laughed. They were probably turning the entire Realm of Light upside down right now, trying to find a way in while she sat here, unable to find a way out.

What would she even do if she found her way back to the Realm of Light? Originally, her plan had been to go to Radiant Garden to find Terra, but now…Aqua quickly realized that she had somehow amassed more tasks than she previously expected. Find the Master’s Keyblade. Restore the Land of Departure. Reunite with Ven. Find and save Terra. Find and save her companion. Find the Realm of Light’s Maleficent and reunite her with this Maleficent. Help Sora defeat Xehanort. Kill Xehanort.

Kill Xehanort. That was the mission, wasn’t it? If she did it, all would be right. _How many people has he killed? How many souls has he corrupted? He’s slipped through our grasp too many times. Enough is enough._ But…she sighed. Would her companions in the Realm of Light approve of this plot? No, of course not. Fighting to keep yourself alive at any cost was one thing. But killing someone in cold blood, that was another thing. That opened a door that Aqua would never be able to close. She couldn’t picture Ven, Sora, or Mickey allowing her to do so.

The phantom, on the other hand…

It was a bitter thought, one that almost made Aqua laugh again. Where had her phantom gone? Had it sensed what her conversation with Maleficent would entail and had decided to disappear? _I’m not a fan of crying,_ it had said. More tears had been shed on this beach than Aqua knew what to do with. She almost missed its taunts, its constant presence. Without it, she would have never left the beach. But she was also happy to be free from it. It had been manipulating her all this time, she knew that now. Had jumped in at the first chance it had to take her Heart. It wouldn’t hesitate the next time. _It’s only as strong as I am,_ she reminded herself. _And now, because of me, it’s much stronger._

Aqua’s eyes found the raft again, mind still on the phantom. _It told me it didn’t want to fade away,_ she remembered. Had that happened, now that it was closed off to her heart? Aqua had certainly felt the emotions the phantom claimed to control since it left her, anger and fear most of all. But she hadn’t fallen victim to them. All those emotions could do now was influence her resolve, convince her to keep fighting. The phantom had no more control over her. And now, it was going to fade back into the darkness.

If she let herself…Aqua almost felt bad for it.

Maleficent still hadn’t responded. Aqua was certain she wasn’t going to say anything. She remained silent, taking the opportunity to rest while she had it. Her eyes lazily flicked between the back of Maleficent’s head and the raft as it inched closer and closer to the shore. She felt drowsy. Her mind drifted as she watched the raft crawl toward the island. “That raft might be slower than you, Terra,” she joked softly to herself. Her hand clenched the Wayfinder as she imagined the way Terra and Ven would laugh. Even the Master might offer her a sly smile, letting down his barrier just this once to join in their teasing.

The Master. Aqua’s eyes settled on Maleficent’s head again. Then, against her better wishes, they followed the path down to where her wings had once been. Her stomach churned uncomfortably as she remembered the sight, her mind replaying what Maleficent had told her. She had implied…No, Maleficent had downright accused the Master of allowing this to happen to her. That he had been too blind to the evil that Xehanort was becoming, too obsessed with protecting the light to notice the threat creeping in the shadows. But how would he have known? Xehanort had manipulated all of them too well in the past. He could have lied to the Master easily enough.

 _Keyblade Master._ Maleficent had spat at it her like a curse. Before it had been a title she had worn with pride, something she had aspired to become. Now, all she could think of was the naivete of those who had worn the title. Had Master Eraqus and Master Yen Sid really been so blind to what was happening right under their noses? If they allowed it to happen, they were monsters. If they hadn’t known it was happening, they were fools. In either case…

She thought back to when she, Ven, and Terra had discussed the Master’s lesson on sorrow. How Ven had disagreed with it. The Master had always allowed for disagreement, had said a spirited debate was even more valuable than an exhilarating sparring match, yet Aqua could never remember a time she had disagreed with the Master. Ven and Terra had spoken out every now and then, Terra more so, but only ever in confidence amongst the three of them. She couldn’t recall a single time one of the three had ever disagreed with the Master to his face. They had argued plenty amongst themselves, but never with him. They had all worshipped the ground on which he walked. Why wouldn’t they? He had taught them everything they had known. They were his legacy.

His legacy. Three Keyblade wielders lost to darkness. What pride he must have in them.

Would the Master approve of her plan to kill Xehanort? It was hard to tell. On one hand, _of course_ the Master would disapprove. _Show mercy whenever possible._ Killing the enemy in cold blood, for whatever reason, was a path to darkness. Before this, Aqua would have readily agreed, but now…Her eyes remained on Maleficent. Had Master Eraqus been too afraid of the darkness he would invoke by stopping Xehanort to protect her? If given the chance – given the knowledge – would he right his wrong? Aqua wanted to believe he would. Hoped for it more than anything.

But…perhaps she had idolized the Master too much. Had blinded herself to the truth. _Everyone keeps secrets. Your lovely Master didn’t tell you a lot of things._ The phantom had told her that, on their journey across the sea. Though Aqua’s heart was no longer under its influence, its words still wormed their way into her brain. _Because they’re my words,_ she realized. _The phantom was my doubt. And I doubt this more than ever._ Maybe…Maybe Master Eraqus had loved his brother pupil too much. Just as she had loved Terra and Ven too much to see what was happening before her.

 _If Master Eraqus had only named Terra a Master, we could have avoided everything_ , she thought.

 _No!_ She nearly spoke the word aloud, angry at herself for the betrayal. These doubts, these questions, they would get her nowhere. The Master was not perfect. She could accept his flaws now, could see them clearly. But he had been a father to her, to Terra, to Ven. He had taught her everything she had known. He had been solely responsible for ensuring the successful legacy of the Keyblade Masters. Even as his three pupils had fallen, they had ensured the legacy would continue with Sora and Riku. Master Eraqus may have kept secrets from them, but nothing he had done compared to the atrocities done by Xehanort.

It was Xehanort who had committed the crime. And now, Aqua was determined to hand down a sentence.

She looked up again, realizing that the raft had significantly closed the distance during her reverie. It was still empty. Maleficent had remained silent the entire time, had not yet moved from where she stood at the shore. Now, as Aqua slowly rose to her feet, Maleficent turned to face her. She, too, had been thinking, although about something entirely different.

“I believe that this is your ride,” she uttered, voice empty.

Aqua’s heart skipped a beat. “My ride?” she asked.

Maleficent nodded. “I have never seen such a vessel in my time here,” she explained. “Your presence here must have summoned it. There are no coincidences in this realm.”

Aqua looked at her, her mouth wide with shock. “But…you said there are only three ways out.”

“I did not say this was a way out of the Dark Realm,” Maleficent corrected. “But…it is your way beyond this place. To wherever you are destined to go next.”

Another journey? Aqua’s body groaned as her heart lit up. _There’s something beyond here,_ she thought, trying to stifle the exhaustion in her body. Part of her wanted to stay on this island forever. It was safe from the Heartless. For the first time in twelve years, she could actually, truly, rest. What she wouldn’t give for several uninterrupted hours of rest, free from any threats! But that wasn’t all. She looked at Maleficent, but avoided her eyes, uncomfortable again. She felt guilty about leaving the fairy here, alone.

“If I go,” Aqua asked, already knowing the answer, “will you come with me? I don’t feel good about leaving you here.”

“No.” The answer came quickly, as expected, but it still stung. Aqua looked down. “My place is no longer in the Realm of Light.”

Aqua wanted to protest, but it was useless. Maleficent had made her choice, and she couldn’t deny her that. It was not her place to command the fairy. She had done more for her than Aqua deserved. The Keyblade Master stood, walking to the shore, taking her place beside the fairy. Together, the two silently watched the raft as it continued its slow approach.

“I will come back for you,” Aqua declared, her voice low. “After. I promise.”

“You make many promises. You would be wise to only make those you can keep.”

That stung, too. But Maleficent was right. She had been rather liberal with her promises. _I will keep them though. I will do all that I can._ “Maleficent,” she said. She could see the fairy catch her breath at the sound of her name, spoken so gently by the Master. “I…Do you know how I can bring you back, once this is all over?”

Maleficent turned to look at her. “The magic that separated me…is powerful,” she told her. “It exists separate from the Keyblades your kind wields. Only a mage of exceptional ability would be able to control it. And even then, you would need to overwhelm my other side.”

Aqua nodded, turning her gaze back to the sea. Then, she looked back, the same smile on her face that Sora had worn on his a few hours ago. The grin had worked on her when she had seen it, and maybe it would help Maleficent now. “Then, it’s a good thing I’m a mage of exceptional ability!” she said. Maleficent raised an eyebrow at her, and the smile faltered a bit. Aqua cleared her throat. “And like I said. I defeated your other side before.”

“Is that so?” The words were soft again, but…If Aqua wasn’t convinced that the fairy didn’t like her, she would’ve thought they were almost teasing.

“I do promise, though,” Aqua said, serious again. “I will kill Xehanort. I will do what I can to right the wrong that has been done to you. And, if I am still living, after all that…I will spend the rest of my life atoning for that crime. And my first deed in service of that atonement will be to bring you back to the Realm of Light.”

Maleficent turned to look at her fully, silent again as the words settled around them. “Keyblade Masters,” she scoffed, finally. “Always so dramatic.”

It was a joke, Aqua realized. An honest to goodness joke. She was taken aback, but quickly adjusted her expression, a smile finding its way to her lips. “Maybe your light isn’t so far gone after all.”

“Perhaps it isn’t. But, perhaps you will fail yet, and I will get to watch as your heart falls to darkness.”

“At least I know what’ll be waiting for me.”

Maleficent turned away again. Aqua saw the corners of her mouth twitch. “You…remind me of him,” she admitted, grudgingly.

“Who?”

“Your Master. From before.”

Aqua nodded, looking out to the sea again. She thought back to the last time she had watched the waves with a friend. “Tell me, will you stay here?” she asked, smiling to herself as she remembered the hope her friend had given her all that time ago.

Maleficent had returned her gaze to the sea as well, but Aqua saw her nod out of the corner of her eye. A few moments of silence followed, and then, “I think…I will try to help the next soul that falls here. If they are deserving of it.” Her gray eyes flashed momentarily; Aqua felt determination in her. “I owe them that much.”

Aqua smiled gently in response. “I think that’s a wonderful plan.” She sighed, looking back out. The raft had nearly reached the shore now. Aqua could easily make the jump to it. She looked back at Maleficent one last time. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“I am.”

“Okay.” Aqua breathed in, readying herself –

“Aqua?”

She stopped mid-motion, eyes glancing back towards the fairy. Maleficent stared at her, examining the Keyblade Master. In her eyes…

For the first time in forty years, for only a moment, Maleficent’s eyes were warm.

“May your heart be your guiding key.”

Aqua nodded, a surge of confidence flowing through her. “Yours, too,” she whispered. She took several steps back, readying herself. Then, she burst forth, the exhaustion seemingly gone. She hit the edge of the shore, just inches from the tide, and pounced from the ground, soaring through the air. A quick burst of wind accompanied her, carrying her farther out from the beach. Once again, she had left the safety of the shore to brave the dark waters.

Her boots hit the raft, a dull thud echoing in the emptiness of the realm as she righted herself. She had expected the impact to upset the raft’s balance, but it barely moved at all. Either there had been magic cast on this raft to keep it from sinking, or it was better constructed than she had thought. Aqua turned to face the island, seeing Maleficent watching her from a distance. She raised a hand to wave to the fairy. Maleficent simply turned her back, walking back across the island, away from Aqua. She watched as the fairy disappeared into the darkness, out of Aqua’s sight.

“See you,” she muttered softly, rolling her eyes. When this was all over…she looked forward to their next conversation. Looked forward to their friendship.

She turned to take in the raft, adjusting to the gentle rocking of the waves. Now that she stood on the raft, she could see that it wasn’t totally empty. There was one crate, sitting next to the small mast, but that was it. Feeling a bit foolish, she crossed over. How was this raft supposed to get her home? She sighed, moving to investigate the crate, her mind curious as to what secrets it held.

As she crouched, Aqua noticed a marking on the mast. It was crude, as most markings carved into wood by a knife tend to be. Aqua could read it, though. She recognized the word. “Highwind,” she mouthed, placing a finger next to the word. _That must be the name of this raft,_ she realized. Whoever had built it must have carved the name. Aqua felt a momentary reassurance at the sight, knowing now that the raft must have originated in the Realm of Light. Just as quickly, though, another pang of worry hit her as she contemplated the fate of this raft’s builders. _I hope wherever they are, they’re safe,_ Aqua thought, ignoring the uneasy feeling that they were not.

Unsettled, Aqua returned her attention to the crate. Readying herself for anything, Aqua lifted the lid to find – nothing remarkable. Inside the crate were a few nondescript, incredibly ordinary items: a bottle full of water, several coconuts, several mushrooms. Aqua sighed, sitting down next to the crate, her back against the mast. Whatever she had been expecting, it had not been anything quite so ordinary. She reached for the bottle of water, suddenly thirsty. Part of her felt guilty for drinking the water since it wasn’t hers. _It’s not like they’re using it¸_ she told herself. She set the bottle down and closed her eyes, the lid of the crate sitting in her lap.

She was so tired. The time she had taken to rest on the island had barely helped her. And now, she had left the safety of the island to follow this new lead, only to find that it was a dead end. _I should just go back to the Boundary,_ she thought, looking up into the distance.

The Boundary had disappeared.

Panic rushed through Aqua. How had the raft already moved away from the island so quickly? It had only been minutes, and the raft had moved so slowly before. The wind was still gentle against the sail – it shouldn’t be possible! Aqua breathed. _Think,_ she told herself. Rationally, it was entirely possible. She reminded herself where she was. _It’s playing tricks on me again,_ she realized bitterly. _Trying to get me to doubt myself._ At least now she knew to expect something to happen. She was frustrated, however. Try as she might to direct her own destiny in this dark world, things continued to happen _to_ her instead.

“What now?” she muttered, frustrated and exhausted. She lowered her head, her eyes closing once more. As they did, she caught a glimpse of color on the underside of the lid. Aqua’s eyes snapped open, realizing she had missed something on her initial inspection.

Staring back at her were the childhood faces of Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

Aqua’s heart skipped. It was a photograph, loosely taped to the underside of the lid. She reached a trembling hand out to touch the photo as tears welled up in her eyes. It was real; inexplicably, it was actually here. The edges of the photo were frayed, the tape was probably moments from loosening its hold, and she could see where water had leaked to tarnish the image, but it was real. This was the Sora and Riku she remembered, the Kairi she had seen in Radiant Garden. That was her name, of course – she remembered it now. Kairi had been the girl she met all those years ago. “How did she get to the Destiny Islands?” Aqua mumbled, her fingers tracing the outline of the photograph.

They were so young! Aqua smiled, unable to believe what she was seeing. Sora was pulling the sides of his mouth open wide with his lips, eyes screwed up to make for a ridiculous face. Aqua giggled at the sight of it, comparing the face with the one she had seen standing next to her just hours ago. Kairi had her fingers up in a peace sign, clearly laughing from Sora’s antics, her eyes radiating with happiness. Riku had his arms around the two. His smile wasn’t as wide as the two, yet it reached his eyes without fail. Aqua could see the love he had for his friends in it. Her heart filled at the sight.

As she looked at the photo, the faces shifted. Now, it was she, Terra, and Ven who held those poses, the background of the photo the night sky of the Land of Departure. Tears lined her eyes. She set the crate down against her legs, reaching for the Wayfinder. She pulled it out, examining the reflection in the aquamarine glass. She could see bags under her eyes, a hint at the true extent of her fatigue. Did she still look the same? The last time she had seen herself fully was in the mirrors in the remains of the Dwarf Woodlands. She could see the toll the realm was taking on her then, could only imagine what she truly looked like now.

She placed the Wayfinder underneath the photo, content to sit in silence and rest her eyes on the two items lying so close to one another. As the Wayfinder lay underneath the photograph, Aqua saw just how her legacy had lived on in these three children. Sora, Riku, and Kairi would succeed where she, Terra, and Ven had failed. Aqua would reunite the two trios, and together, they would stop Xehanort. Somehow, sitting on this raft with the memories of her friends and Sora’s friends so close, Aqua felt safer than she had ever felt.

“I’m on my way,” she whispered, closing her eyes. Aqua’s shoulders relaxed, hands losing their grip on the lid of the crate. Her body felt heavy and incredibly warm, the waves comforting her. Her eyes grew too heavy to force open. In just a few moments, Aqua would finally allow herself to succumb to sleep.

“You haven’t learned anything, have you?”

The exhaustion evacuated as pure terror took over once more, waking as one would at the sudden sound of an intruder in the middle of the night. Aqua flew to her feet, hands out, her heart begging her Keyblade to return to her. The crate lid flew from her grasp, Aqua momentarily forgetting that it still held the Wayfinder and photograph. She scanned the entire raft, certain _it_ had found its way on board. She wasn’t as safe as she had thought. A mist had appeared over the water, dark, swirling, dangerous. She watched as the now violent waves crashed against each other where the mist swarmed. Aqua held herself back, her heart dropping. She knew what would appear within the mist. Who would appear within it. She recognized the voice.

It was her voice, after all.

Aqua watched in horror as her phantom manifested itself within the dark mist. Whatever feelings of pity Aqua had felt for it previously disappeared, replaced with terror as she realized how powerful it had grown. Its eyes were darker, more intense, more evil. A demonic grin spread across its face as it took in the sight of the cornered Keyblade Master. The phantom wasn’t here to taunt her anymore. It was done manipulating her. It was strong enough to fight her for her heart now. _Because I’m strong enough,_ she realized.

Aqua stepped back on the raft, feeling the mast behind her. _I’m cornered!_ she realized. Her mind scattered, trying to find a way out of this, but she quickly concluded that she had no choice but to defend herself from the tiny deck of Highwind.

The wind howled against her ears while the now turbulent waves threatened to unbalance the ship. Aqua struggled to stay standing as the phantom took form.

The phantom reached a hand out to its side, darkness cackling at the end of her grasp. Aqua’s eyes widened as the darkness took form. A shadowy Keyblade appeared in the phantom’s grip. The phantom mirrored Aqua’s battle stance, the demonic grin turning nastier, a snarl at its lips. “Did you miss me?” it mocked, voice somehow even louder than the howling wind.

It flew at her, shadowy Keyblade raised.

Automatically, Aqua’s barrier formed around her. The blade slammed against the transparent wall, the force of the impact creating a sonic wave that blew the waves out around them. Aqua lost her balance but rapidly steadied herself. The barrier withheld the attack and, as intended, the phantom was thrown back, the power of its strike suddenly reflected at it.

A weaker fighter than Aqua might have gone down and lost their awareness, but Aqua was too well-trained. Despite her shock at the phantom’s sudden reappearance, her body reacted without instruction. Her eyes had followed the phantom as it attacked, registering information that was now available for her mind to analyze as the phantom’s body crashed into the water.

Breathless, Aqua set her mind to work, churning through the information her eyes had gathered. _A Keyblade?!_ No – it wasn’t a true Keyblade. She had seen the shape shifting as the phantom flew at her, the darkness the phantom summoned unable to maintain a solid form. _It’s mocking me again._ Aqua clenched her hands into fists, a snarl of her own forming on her face. _But it has to use magic to keep it up._

Aqua waited for the phantom to resurface, certain what the phantom would attempt next. _I’m not that stupid._ She was right – something burst through the water behind her. Aqua dashed to the right, avoiding the strike but nearly falling off the small raft. She balanced herself again, the barrier forming as another attack flew at her. The impact was weaker. The phantom had caught itself, realized the mistake, adjusted the force. It flew away once more, but not as far. It landed on its feet, somehow standing on the water. It was reading her as well as she was reading it.

 _I can’t stay on the raft if I’m going to fight it!_ Aqua realized. She glanced at the water quickly, knowing she was out of options. If she stayed on the raft, she was forced into defense. Her barrier could block anything, but she couldn’t constantly summon it. And the phantom would begin to feint soon, Aqua knew that. It had to have made the same realization. It would force Aqua to mistime her defense. Or worse – it would force her to dodge again and send her off the raft and into the sea. She shuddered at the thought. If she wanted to survive, she had to go on the offensive. And to do that, she had to face the waters once more.

There was no choice. _I have supplies,_ she reminded herself, suddenly glad she had rationed them while crossing the sea. The medicine would allow her a few mistakes and keep the battle going long enough for Aqua to find a way to win. Fighting the phantom on the water would use up magic, but neither version of the Master could afford a drawn-out battle relying on it alone. Either way, this battle would end quickly.

“Blizzard Infinitum,” she muttered, stepping onto the water. Small patches of ice appeared under her feet where she stepped, keeping her from breaking the surface. The power of Flowmotion coursed through her legs, keeping her confidently balanced on the ice. The spell would work in the background, summoning a patch of ice every time Aqua stood on the water, but it would cost her. Just as it cost the phantom to keep her mock Keyblade up.

“Glad you could join me!” the phantom yelled, flying at her once more. The shadow Keyblade struck at Aqua – but she disappeared into thin air! The phantom looked around wildly, suddenly unable to sense its foe. Aqua reappeared behind it, her right hand pulled back. In it spun a massive fireball. A battle cry sprung from her lips, her features suddenly violent. “Farewell!” she cried. Gone was the tearful Keyblade Master who had cried for Maleficent on the Boundary; rage governed her now.

The phantom summoned its own barrier, but it was weaker, an imitation. Aqua’s found its source in the power of light; the phantom’s couldn’t match it. She watched as the phantom made the realization, recalculated its own battle plan as it discovered the false assumption. Aqua’s fireball burst through the shield. The phantom managed to dive out of the way, missing the worst of the attack but still suffering a hit. An inhuman cry choked out of its throat as it distanced itself.

Aqua’s hand pressed against the water, fire disappearing as a patch of ice appeared on the surface. She used it to propel herself into a cartwheel, landing upright. The phantom hovered over the water across from her, its eyes furious but scanning her. Highwind floated off to the side, unscathed by the damage.

“You abandoned me!” it shouted at her, voice hot with anger.

Aqua didn’t fall for the taunt; her eyes caught the absent Keyblade. _She’s trying to fool me into wasting time,_ she realized. _Trying to get me to drain my mana!_ Aqua flew into the air, legs powering her off the surface. She spun, hand and voice calling down thunder from the sky. A lightning bolt took form in her hand and she flung it at the phantom who dodged it easily. Aqua smirked, knowing it would. She snapped her fingers. “Watera!” she called. Right where the phantom was about to land, a violent torrent of water formed. She had her – !

Aqua gasped as the shadow blade landed a direct hit on her back, the wind knocked out of her. _Shit!_ She had fallen for the ruse! The phantom had summoned a projection on the water, knowing that Aqua would attempt a feint. Its real form had pulled the same move she had moments ago, reappearing behind her with an easy target.

Her body rocketed to the surface of the water. She crashed against the water, ice appearing to keep her from breaking through it. The landing hurt almost as bad as the attack. Both impacts combined kept Aqua on the ice, struggling to raise herself. The phantom sped toward her from the sky, ready with another attack to end it. Aqua gritted her teeth. _No choice!_ “Curaga!” she managed. The spell spread through her, thankfully faster than the phantom. Aqua rolled out of the way just in time, maneuvering back to her feet as the phantom’s blade connected with the water.

“I abandoned you?” Aqua taunted, speeding away from the phantom while readying her next attack. Her voice masked her concern over her now depleted mana. The curaga drained her, but she had enough mana in reserve to keep the ice appearing beneath her. Such was the design of the spell. However, another direct hit from the phantom would end that. She could use an ether, but…No, it was too soon. She could dodge and block if needed until her mana replenished. “You abandoned me!” she shot back. “Left me to deal with Elsa on my own!”

“You think the same trick I tried on you is going to work on me?” the phantom roared at her. The hairs on Aqua’s skin raised; she cartwheeled out of the way as a thundaga struck the water where she stood. Knowing what the next attack would be, Aqua summoned the barrier immediately. The phantom’s fake Keyblade struck the barrier, power pulled back as the phantom caught sight of the forcefield. Instinctively, Aqua maintained the barrier, predicting the phantom’s upcoming move. Sure enough, another imitation Keyblade appeared in the other hand, again meeting the barrier. The phantom shrieked, hammering against Aqua’s shield. Nothing broke through, however; the barrier held against each attack.

Finally, the phantom gave up, letting one hit fall without letting up. The forcefield blew her away accordingly. Aqua felt her vision blur and her knees buckle but kept herself up; she couldn’t let the phantom see that summoning the barrier sapped her strength. Normally, her barrier appeared without the help of mana, but with Aqua’s magic diverted to Blizzard Infinitum, the enhanced reflect was now sapping her reserves. Aqua had only been forced into this situation once before, in a training session with Master Eraqus. Just before she had been named a Master.

 _I meant to refine it after,_ she realized regretfully. She panted, reaching for one of the two remaining ethers. The phantom was fast though – another strike that Aqua could barely avoid. She downed the medicine in a single gulp as she dodged, ignoring the bitter taste of the ether as her mana replenished. _I can’t afford many more mistakes._

“Why now?” Aqua called out as she distanced herself. “Why did you wait to attack until now?”

“Because now you’re alone!” the phantom responded, raising a hand. The blade had disappeared again. Dark bursts of fire came forth instead. Aqua circled the phantom as it fired at her, calling its bluff. _It’s trying to distract me, draw my attention away._ The phantom gritted its teeth, realizing what Aqua had correctly assumed. It stopped the spell, the projection it had readied fading away into nothingness.

Aqua saw it clench its teeth, a brief expression of pain stealing its features.

_It’s tired._

An opening!

Aqua ran at it, screaming, two blades of fire extending from her hands. Out of nowhere, three projections of the phantom burst out of the air around her. “Shit!” Aqua yelled, adjusting to slice at them. She defeated the projections easily as the phantom cackled in the distance, out of range of an attack. Another valuable use of magic faded from Aqua’s hands. _It’s playing me!_

“I’m from this place!” the phantom shouted. “I’m not gonna run out of magic like you!”

 _I should’ve known better!_ Aqua scolded herself, now finding herself constantly leaping away from thunder strikes called forth by the phantom. Her mind raced through the options. Time magic was too risky, as were calling forth her own projections; both used up too much mana. She could continue to disappear into thin air and strike from the shadows, but that trick would only work so many more times before the phantom began to read it. Plus, it would only whittle away a little bit over time; suitable for a longer fight, but not one like this. What was left?

 _Confusion!_ The answer came to her suddenly. Confusion magic was weak, but it would create the opening she needed. Aqua gritted her teeth, redistributing her magic. It’d have to be a direct hit, and she needed to have a follow-up ready. Would it even work? _Nothing else is!_ Aqua twirled, avoiding another strike. The impact sent another torrent of water into the sky, and from it, the phantom swung at Aqua –

Aqua cursed again, nerves screaming in pain. She had stopped the blade with her bare hands, could feel the darkness cutting her skin. The force of the impact, too, made her stagger in her stance. Blood dripped from her palms, but Aqua had prepared for the pain. The phantom was shocked – it couldn’t move! As if in slow motion, Aqua released the blade, the phantom suddenly unable to continue its assault. A small fireball appeared in one hand, catching the phantom’s gaze, causing it to miss the other hand, now balled into a fast and sparkling with dizzying stars, headed straight for it.

Aqua slammed a powerful punch into the phantom’s gut, flecks of blood flying from her fist. She heard the wind leave the phantom’s body, caught its eye as both registered that Aqua had won this exchange. The punch knocked the phantom onto its back, landing just a few feet away. The phantom tried to stand, to ready its defenses, but the confusion spell was already under way. Every time it attempted to stand, it flailed helplessly, falling back to the surface disoriented.

 _End it!_ Aqua screamed at herself. No way would she have another opening like this! The midnight aura that had protected her while rescuing Elsa coated her once more. Aqua gasped as the mana left her, but it worked – nine projections of herself now surrounded the struggling phantom. Each raised their hands, fire burning and thunder cackling in each palm. The real Aqua extended her aura into its own imitation of a Keyblade, raising it high above her head, every ounce of her remaining strength flowing into it. “You’re done!” she declared furiously.

Together, the ten Aquas struck the phantom, all the might of her magic hitting the specter dead-on

Water sprayed everywhere, the result of the combined attacks. Aqua distanced herself, standing back as she panted, reaching for the last ether just in case the phantom had once again managed to avoid the strike. As the mist evaporated, however, Aqua knew she had won. The phantom lay on the surface of the water, darkness seeping out of it. Its entire essence was spilling out into the water; in time, it would fade away entirely, lost to the sea forever.

Slowly, Aqua made her way over to the phantom. She stood over it, her eyes steely. The aura faded from her body. “I won,” she said darkly, voice breathless yet confident.

The phantom glared up at her. Darkness continued to flow from her; as it did, Aqua could see its form begin to fade away. “You left me,” it accused.

“ _You_ left _me,_ ” Aqua corrected again, leaning down. She needed to get all the information she could. “How do I get out of here?”

It laughed, the acrid sound assaulting her ears. “Maleficent told you already!” It shivered suddenly, reaching for where its heart should be. “I already told you, anyway. I have no idea what’s out here.”

“Are you even real?” Aqua demanded. “You disappeared the second people showed up-”

“Oh, I’m real alright,” it snapped, weakness suddenly gone from its demeanor, eyes cutting her. “I told you, I’m _your_ darkness. I’m as real as it gets.”

Aqua ground her teeth together, irritated. “I meant-”

“I know what the fuck you meant!” it spat at her. “You think I don’t exist? I almost killed you!”

“You said you didn’t want to though!” Aqua accused.

“I lied, you dumb bitch!”

Aqua slammed her hand into the water, enraged. The phantom laughed again. “See?” it taunted. “You think you’ve mastered your darkness, don’t you? Just because you found the power in your sorrow? Just because of your love for your friends?” The phantom rolled its eyes; Aqua was silent. “Sweetheart, you’ve barely made a dent. The Heartless might not be able to touch you anymore, but _I_ can. And one day, I’ll win.”

“You can’t,” Aqua snapped. “I know pain. It’s mine now. I accept it. I won. You’re just a demon, here to haunt me. Nothing better than a Shadow,” she added, glad that the phantom looked away at the insult. “And now you’re going to fade away.”

“Oh, and that’s gonna magically solve everything?” Another weak laugh; the phantom’s lower half had faded completely now. “I’ll _always_ be with you, haunting you. You think you can control me with just your sorrow alone?” It rolled its eyes. “Despair is just one form of darkness. Despair, fear, jealousy, doubt, hate – all mine. You want to use them? _You need me._ Every time you fight, you give into your rage. You think I don’t know what you plan to do to Xehanort?” Another bitter laugh. Aqua’s eyes widened. “You want him dead? I’m all for it, sweetie. Happy to help.

“What exactly do you think is gonna happen when you get up there, anyway?” it continued, cutting Aqua’s response off. “You think everything’s gonna be sunshine and daisies, that you’ll be reunited with those two brats, forget this place, and live happily ever after? Did you forget what Terra did to you? _He killed your teacher._ ”

“He was being manipulated!”

“ _Bullshit_!” it shouted. “You don’t believe that for a goddamn second! He knew what he was doing the second he took Aurora’s heart. He should’ve come running back home! And what about your friend, Mickey? He left you here, for twelve years! Didn’t even look for you!”

Aqua felt her confidence disappearing. Rage, however, kindled in her. “And I forgive them,” she snarled, voice low. “But I don’t have to forgive you.”

“Oh, I know,” it agreed haughtily. “I’m hoping for it. One day, all this guilt is going to _kill you._ And when it does, I’ll be there.” All but its arms, chest, and face had faded now, yet somehow none of its anger had been shaken.

Aqua breathed deeply, feeling tears of frustration at her eyes. She wiped them away quickly, ignoring the phantom’s snickers. “I almost cared about you,” she muttered. “You said you want to help me. But you don’t! You just keep attacking me. If you’re part of me, why can’t we work together?”

“Because you’re not willing to pay the price.”

“Who saves I have to?” Aqua snapped. The phantom ignored the question. “Maleficent told me-”

“I know what she told you.”

“Shut up!” Aqua growled. She gathered herself quickly, starting again. “Maleficent told me about her attempt to use the darkness to end Xehanort. She thought she wouldn’t need the light to do what she needed. But I need them both, light and dark. Dark to do what needs to be done, and light to know that I need to atone for it.” _There’s no other choice,_ she added in her head. _I have to end him._ “You know that. Why do you keep trying to hurt me?”

“Because _I want it!_ ” the phantom snapped at her. Suddenly, it wrapped its hands around Aqua’s leg, nails digging into her skin. Aqua gasped – it had manipulated her again! She had walked straight into a trap! “ _I_ want the light!” it screamed. “I deserve it! I’m the only reason you’ve survived so long! You’re nothing without me!” Its voice was furious, bordering on hysterical. “But so long as you deny my power _I_ can’t have it!”

“Let me go!” Aqua commanded, but the phantom pulled on her ankle. Aqua stumbled, falling to the surface of the water, the ice still managing to catch her. She scrambled, trying to stand, but the phantom wouldn’t release her.

“I can feel your doubt! _I am your doubt_!” it taunted as the remainder of its body fell into the water. Horrified, Aqua realized it was dragging her with it. She sent more power to the blizzard magic, but her reserves had been used up. Frantic, she reached for her medicine, but it was out of her grasp. “You can’t defeat me! Not now that you know what your Master did to Maleficent!”

“That wasn’t him!” Aqua protested, frantically trying to break free from the phantom’s grip.

“But you don’t believe that!” the phantom snarled gleefully, its grip only increasing in strength. Aqua gasped as the water hit her skin. She kicked her legs, splashed against the water, flailing, but the phantom wouldn’t let go. Only its face remained above water now. “Everything in your life is a lie! If you leave this place, you’ll keep causing pain to innocent people! You know it!” Aqua felt her body slipping to the water. She grasped at the surface as the phantom pulled her into the depths.

 _If I can’t have the light, you can’t either,_ the phantom taunted from inside her mind.

Aqua swatted her arms frantically, now fully submerged. She held her breath, desperately trying to break free of the phantom’s ironclad grasp. The dark water felt like molasses against her. It slowed her motion, forced her to use all her strength as she struggled. Every move used more oxygen than she had left.

Her body finally gave in as her mind screamed against it, her lungs burning, aching for air. Inevitably, her mouth opened. Dark water poured in, filling her lungs. Aqua choked on it, still struggling against the phantom’s grip. The phantom’s mocking laugh filled her mind as a hand instinctively reached for the Wayfinder. But to her horror, the Wayfinder no longer hung around her neck. _No!_ she wanted to scream. It still lay on the deck of Highwind, next to the picture of Sora, Riku, and Kairi. She raised a hand, desperately reaching for the charm.

She could feel her grip on consciousness fading as water continued rushing into her lungs. With one last push, Aqua reached out for the Wayfinder with all her heart, begging for her heart to reach the one connection she had in this hell. But no help came. Aqua’s vision blurred, then her eyes closed entirely. She felt herself passing out, succumbing to the water, sure that the last thing she would ever hear was the phantom’s horrid laugh. Yet, just as she crossed the edge – just as her awareness gave out – she heard it. From the Realm of Light, seemingly an eternity away, it echoed through her mind. One word, barely audible, spoken through Sora. Her last connection to the Realm of Light.

From so far away, she heard Ven whisper her name.

__

_  
**End of Part One**  
___

__  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a nightmare to write. I tried about ten different things with it, ultimately struggling with when I wanted the phantom to return to the story and how specifically I want Aqua to leave the Realm of Darkness (which she will, soon). The original sketch of this story had Aqua meeting a fragment of Xion, which then became Sora's Heartless but also still the fragment of Xion, then Sora's Heartless and the Phantom, none of which ultimately made sense or worked out the way I wanted them to plotwise and/or thematically. 
> 
> From this point forward, we'll be checking in periodically with Sora and company! Aqua's POV will remain the main POV, but for the story to make sense, it's necessary to show some things happening with the other characters. The next chapter is a short interlude not featuring Aqua, and my intention is to have 1 or 2 more interludes spread out through the story heading forward.
> 
> Comments, as always, are greatly appreciated!


	6. Interlude: A Way In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Realm of Light, Riku and Mickey realize they're running out of time to save Aqua.

His eyes took in the gleam of the stars, the millions of worlds that existed out in the great realm. They twinkled against the dark canvas of the night sky. He watched them, wondering which one his friend had traveled to or whether one of those stars might be the ship carrying him on his journey. Riku sighed, leaning back against the wall as the breeze wafted into the tower. Somehow, the wind carried the scent of salt on it tonight. It reminded him of home.

He had been there, briefly, after he and Sora had defeated Xemnas. Just a couple of weeks, enough for Riku to check in with his family and realize what he had always known was true. He wasn’t destined to stay on the islands forever, no matter how much his heart ached for the calming presence of the waves against the shore. He wondered briefly how Sora and Kairi would take the news, when this was all over.

 _Speaking of Sora…_ “He’s late,” Riku announced nonchalantly. _Of course_ Sora was late. This was Sora they were talking about. If Riku had to bet, he had gone completely off course, had probably forgotten everything he was _supposed_ to be doing. But of course he had. He smiled. The second anyone needed help, Sora would be there. There wasn’t a problem Sora couldn’t solve when he set his mind to it.

 _We need him now more than ever,_ Riku thought, closing his eyes. They hadn’t been able to find Aqua or Terra anywhere, Realm of Light, Darkness, or otherwise. Ven was a lost cause, too. Even if his heart was inside Sora, only Aqua knew where his body was. Riku clenched his fists, grimacing at the thought of Aqua’s fate. He too had been lost in the Realm of Darkness once, knew the effect it had. He had barely lasted three weeks. How Aqua had survived down there for twelve years, Riku had no idea.

He opened his eyes, lazily surveying the room. He lounged in the windowsill of one of the Mysterious Tower’s windows. Master Yen Sid, as ever, sat behind his desk, his eyes scanning some sort of ancient tome whose contents were beyond Riku’s comprehension. Mickey, meanwhile, quietly paced across the room, his head bowed to the ground. Riku watched the King for a while. Was he thinking about Aqua, too? Riku had felt angry at the King when learning of Aqua’s sacrifice for him. If he and Sora had only known…

Part of him still felt anger, but in truth, it was regret. They could have found Aqua so much sooner. He and Sora had been back to that place, too; if they had waited just a few more hours, she might have met them. They could have saved her. Looking at the King now, Riku felt pity for him. Ever since Master Yen Sid had named Riku a Keyblade Master, he had started to see just how much of the King’s demeanor was a false confidence, put on to keep others from worrying about him. In truth, the King was masking his own regrets and worries, and now, Riku wondered how much they were due to abandoning Aqua.

In the year that Sora spent asleep, he had lost contact with the King several times, only for him to reappear suddenly without explanation. Officially, he had been working to uncover the motivations of Organization XIII, but Riku doubted that now. He was certain that each time the King went dark, he had gone searching for a way into the Realm of Darkness. Perhaps he had even found a way in, only to find his way out again empty-handed. As the threat of Organization XIII loomed taller, rescuing Aqua must have been pushed aside.

Organization XIII. Riku sighed, his mind turning to Roxas. Riku still felt shame for his role in that whole affair. He had told himself there had been no other way, that it was either Roxas or Sora, just as DiZ – Ansem – had said. But the more he argued that, the more he was sure it was wrong. Of the four people they were trying to find, Roxas was arguably the safest – they at least knew where he was. And, after all, Riku did have the Power of Waking too. He could awaken Roxas’s heart. He owed the boy that. Owed him more than that. But without a body…

They needed Roxas, too. Yes, Kairi and Axel – or Lea, Riku was never sure – were training to become Guardians of Light, which bolstered their numbers. But…Riku would never admit it, but the thought of sending Kairi and Axel into battle frightened him. They had just started wielding a Keyblade! They were training, yes, but Aqua, Terra, and Ventus had spent their entire lives training to be Keyblade masters according to Mickey. And Roxas…Riku’s wrist ached, but he smiled despite it. Roxas could put them all to shame. Sending Kairi and Axel out into battle against Xehanort so quickly seemed too reckless to Riku. But without the others, they had no choice.

All Riku knew was that Sora would be the answer to all their problems. He always was. After all, he did have Ven and Roxas’s heart sleeping inside him, not to mention whoever that third heart was. Riku just had to put faith in his friend. He hadn’t let him down yet.

Aside from how ridiculously late he was, of course.

Riku’s eyes continued following Mickey. The King looked uncharacteristically concerned, the strong façade he usually employed fading quickly with each step. Riku watched his friend pace, worry growing. Mickey grew more tense with each passing second. Just as Riku was about to say something, the mouse finally burst.

“We can’t wait any longer!”

Riku was taken aback with the urgency of the exclamation. He kicked his legs off the windowsill and stood. Mickey’s eyes were fixated on his old teacher; his outburst had been directed at the Master. Riku crossed to stand next to him, wondering if he should offer anything. Master Yen Sid hadn’t reacted at all, which clearly infuriated the mouse. Riku cleared his throat. “Sora has been gone a long time,” he said slowly, placing a hand on the King’s shoulder. “But if anything happened, he would let us know.”

“That’s just the thing,” Mickey responded immediately. He pulled out his Gummiphone, handing it to Riku. “I tried calling him a few times. He didn’t pick up.”

“What?” Riku grabbed the phone, concern spiking. Sora might be clueless when it came to technology, but not answering the phone was unlike him. He scrolled through, confirming the King’s statement as he saw the number of failed calls. “He might be in trouble!” he said. “Master Yen Sid-”

The Master held up a hand. Riku fell silent at once, though Mickey crossed his arms. Riku had never seen the King so annoyed. The Master didn’t respond immediately, instead waiting until he had finished reading the last page to speak. “I understand your frustration, Mickey,” the Master said, his voice ever a mysterious drawl. He slowly closed the tome. “But we cannot run off wildly when the threat looms so large. We must plan carefully-”

“Aqua has been in the Realm of Darkness for twelve years!” Mickey shot back, interrupting the Master. Riku turned red, embarrassed that his friend would interrupt the Master. He bit his lip, looking away as the mouse continued. “I don’t want her to be there one more second. It’s my fault she’s there.”

“You could not have prevented Master Aqua’s fate.”

“Yes, I could have! I shoulda gone with her when she went after Terra.” The King’s voice was angry, but the fury was directed entirely at himself. He stepped towards the Master’s desk, raising his fist. "I know that I wasn’t strong enough to defeat him, but I coulda helped her. And after we closed the door, I shoulda went back to find her, right away. If I had, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“There is no way to know that,” Master Yen Sid replied. “We have discussed this before.”

“All we do is discuss things!” Mickey yelled. Riku stepped forward, certain the King was about to leap at the unfazed Yen Sid. “We just talk and talk, make plans, but we never act. We haven’t found anything, just more dead ends and more riddles. We don’t know where Terra and Ven are, and we can’t wake Roxas without a replica. We _know_ where Aqua is. I don’t care what the danger is, I’ll go there alone if I hafta, I’ll turn the entire place upside down until I can find her. We can’t leave her there any longer!”

Master Yen Sid didn’t respond. Instead, he simply closed his eyes. The King let out an exasperated sigh, threw up his arms, and stormed to the other side of the room.

“Mickey…” Riku said quietly, eyes following the mouse. He had never seen the King like this. He had underestimated just how large a toll this was taking on him. “Mickey, I know you tried. When Sora was sleeping, I know you were looking for a way back in. We’ll find her. I promise.”

The King turned to look at Riku, his eyes red from tears. “Thanks, Riku.” He smiled, weakly. “But we can’t let her wait anymore.”

Riku nodded and turned back to the wizard. Mickey was right. They couldn’t leave her down there any longer. “Master Yen Sid-” he began.

Suddenly, something crashed outside. The force of the impact rattled the tower. Shocked, Riku spun around, his Keyblade at his side instantly. Mickey did the same. Yen Sid, however, remained silent. “What was that?” he asked, his blade raised above his head. He could hear footsteps below them; somebody or something was running up the stairs. Riku shared a look with Mickey as they confirmed the knowledge, both preparing an attack.

Seconds later, the door crashed open as Sora more or less fell into the room, his face red and breath coming in short, gasping bursts. Donald and Goofy’s voices echoed from floors beneath after him. Riku’s mouth fell open, dumbfounded. Sora, panting, looked at him. Confusion spread across his face upon the sight of his friend. “What’s that for?” he accused, indignant.

Riku blushed. He lowered his hands, the Keyblade disappearing. “Sorry. Thought you were an enemy.”

“Oh! That makes sense. Sorry, landing was a bit rough.” He grinned sheepishly, his arms crossing behind his head. _That was the Gummi Ship?_ Riku thought. He twitched, involuntarily moving toward the window to peek at the now likely damaged ship. “We wanted to get here as fast as we could.”

“Right,” Riku replied, still trying to figure out how Sora had somehow made it from the ship to the top of the tower so quickly. “Did…did you sprint up the stairs?”

“Yup!”

Donald and Goofy stumbled into the room, both breathing heavily. “S-sora,” Donald gasped, holding himself against the doorframe for support. “You…you need to slow down.”

Sora beamed at him. “No time to waste!” He froze suddenly, face turning red. “Master Yen Sid!” he yelped, spinning and running past Riku. He came to a halt right before the Master’s desk, assuming a salute. Donald and Goofy labored after him, not even acknowledging Riku or the King. “I rediscovered the Power of Waking!”

“WHAT?!” Riku yelled.

Master Yen Sid’s eyes flew open. The wizard leaned forward in his chair. “Sora,” he said. “Are you certain-”

“He is!” Donald exclaimed as he puffed out his chest, copying Sora. “We saw him use it to save Elsa!”

“Elsa?” Riku asked, turning around to face the others.

“Yup! She-she was a Princess o’…o’ Heart who… who…fell…fell to darkness!” Goofy explained, panting. The knight had tried to copy his companions, but the exhaustion of climbing the entire tower so quickly had gotten to him. He leaned forward, clutching the desk to keep himself up.

“But – wait, that’s not possible,” Riku began, confusion only growing. “Princesses of Heart-”

“I thought the same thing!” Sora interrupted, the same lucky-go-happy expression plastered to his face. “But I did it. I’m pretty sure I did, Goofy said it was just like when you used it to save me.”

“Oh.” Riku looked at the Master, who had closed his eyes again. Did he understand this at all? “So…let me get this straight. You met somebody who had lost their heart – Princess or otherwise – and somehow you woke them again?”

“Uh, yeah, basically! Oh, and you’ll never guess who helped me!”

“Sora-”

“Master Aqua!” Donald said.

“WHAT?!”

This time the exclamation came from Riku, Mickey, and even Master Yen Sid himself. Sora, meanwhile, was unaware of their disbelief. He turned to Donald, clearly annoyed. “Hey! We agreed that I was gonna say that!”

“You were taking too much time!”

“Yeah, but I’m the one who found her-”

“SORA!” Riku shouted. The boy spun around to face him immediately, smiling at him sheepishly again, a hand reaching back behind his head. For all the years he had known Sora, Riku still hadn’t decided whether that grin made him want to hug him or punch him. He pressed a hand to his forehead. “What do you mean Aqua helped you?”

“Oh!” The hand behind his head now went to his chin, eyes looking up to the ceiling. “Well, I don’t really understand it. But, when I saw Elsa lying there, I knew I had to do something. So, Anna and I-”

“Anna?” Riku asked.

“Elsa’s sister,” Goofy replied.

“Another Princess of Heart!” Donald added.

“Right. Of course.”

“Yeah!” Sora smiled again. “So, when Anna and I used our powers to reach Elsa, we found her heart in the Realm of Darkness. And she was really close to disappearing. Anna found her first, then somehow, I got there too. But Aqua was already there! I saw her. She was holding onto Elsa’s hand, trying to pull her out of the dark. Then I was there, standing next to her. She recognized me! Together, we got Elsa out. That’s all I remember.” He looked around the room, only seeing dumbfounded faces when he expected to see impressed ones. He scratched behind his head, his grin faltering. “So, uh. Yeah. That’s it.”

A moment of silence passed as everyone considered the information, and then –

“Master Yen Sid!” Mickey said quickly.

“I will not hold you here any longer!” Master Yen Sid declared. He rose from his chair. “Sora, where did you see Aqua?”

“Specifically,” Riku added, quickly. “We know she’s in the Realm of Darkness.”

Sora paused mid-answer; Riku had anticipated what he would say. “The Realm - Oh. Well, she was by the water, but I don’t think it was the same place we were when we ended up there. It was an island, I think. Nothing else there. And…you know, actually, I don’t think she was alone either.”

“She wasn’t?” Riku asked, his eyes going wide. “Who else was there?”

“Huh. I don’t know. I just felt this weird, empty presence when I was there. Maybe a Nobody?”

“Master-” Mickey began, already summoning his Keyblade.

“Yes, I agree,” the Master said. He clapped his hands. “Mickey, Riku – go, now!”

They both nodded, turning to face the door. Mickey was already at it when Sora spoke again.

“Hey, wait! What about me?”

Riku turned back, looking at Sora. “Oh,” he said, realizing what Sora meant. He looked at the Master. “Master, Sora does have the Power of Waking now. He should come with us.”

The Master closed his eyes again. Riku could feel Mickey’s impatience radiating off him, sure the King was going to protest that every second they spent debating this issue would be a waste of time. Riku turned to him. “Go get the ship,” he said, smiling at the King. “We’ll be there soon.”

The King nodded. “Thanks, Riku,” he said, offering his friend a faint smile before leaving the room.

Riku turned back, eyes on the Master as they waited for his response.

“Sora,” the Master finally said. “I believe that you have managed to reclaim the Power of Waking. For this, I am extremely pleased.” Sora beamed as the Master sat again. “However-” Sora’s smile faltered. “It would be foolish of me to send three of our five Guardians of Light to the Realm of Darkness.”

“But-” Sora protested.

The Master raised a hand, silencing him. “I understand this frustrates you. But if I send you along with Riku and the King, we risk not only losing the three of you, but the hearts resting inside of you. We are certain now that one of them is Ventus; therefore, by sending you, I send four Guardians, not three.”

“But-” Sora protested. He was biting his lip, trying to keep something held back. Shocked, Riku saw tears welling up in the boy’s eyes.

“Sora,” Riku said quickly, voice comforting. He hated leaving Sora behind, but the Master was right. He placed a hand on his shoulder. “The Realm of Darkness is dangerous. Mickey and I know it better than anyone. We’ve spent more time there. We’ll be safer if we know you’re out here.”

Master Yen Sid nodded. “We now know where in the realm Aqua is,” he stated. “We are closer to bringing her back than ever before. Because of you, Sora, we have the best opportunity to save her. For that, I am eternally grateful.”

Sora’s eyes were on the ground, his face dark. Donald and Goofy shared a look with each other, then stepped forward. “Sora-” Goofy began.

“You’re just going to leave her there?!”

It took Riku, Donald, and Goofy by surprise. Sora was glaring at the Master, anger in his eyes, his fists clenched at his side. “Sora, that’s not-”

“She’s been trapped there now, for twelve years! All of us should be running there to help her!” Sora was shouting, moving closer to the desk. He shoved Donald and Goofy out of the way. “Mickey left her there! We left her there! We can’t take any chances!”

“Sora-”

“I saw what that place was like! It was so empty, so cold! You should have seen Aqua’s face – she was so tired! She looked like she was going to drop any minute!”

“Sora!”

“Meanwhile we’re all up here, acting like we have all the time in the world! _But we don’t!_ Every minute that we take to make up our minds is an eternity down there!” He was becoming hysterical, tears streaming down his face. Riku had never seen his friend look this before. He stepped forward, trying to place a hand on him, but Sora swatted it away. “I can save her! Let me go down there and help her! YOU HAVE TO LET ME HELP HER!”

“Sora,” Riku said softly, watching as his friend grabbed his head as the cries overtook him. He reached out again, but Sora backed away from him, spiraling toward the wall away from them. Not even Donald and Goofy could reach him.

“Ventus.”

The name came from the Master, barely more than a whisper. Yen Sid stood once more and crossed from behind his desk, walking so that he was standing feet away from Sora. Sora looked up at him as he heard the word, his face suddenly blank aside from the tears staining his cheeks.

“Ventus,” the Master said again, placing a hand on Sora’s shoulder. “After all this time, do you really doubt Aqua’s strength?”

Sora gasped, but Riku could tell that even though the sound came from his body, it hadn’t been him. His brow furrowed, stepping forward. “What’s going on?” he asked the Master.

Yen Sid ignored him. “You spoke with her,” he said to Sora. “When Sora used the Power of Waking to reach Elsa, you sensed Aqua there in the dark. Am I correct?”

“Yes.”

Riku, Goofy, and Donald all looked at each other. That…that wasn’t Sora’s voice. They had missed it in the chaos of the hysteria, but it wasn’t Sora’s voice anymore. _What is this?_ He wondered, alarmed. _Is…is that Ven?_

“Then you sensed the strength in her heart. Despite the exhaustion in her body, you felt it, didn’t you?”

Several beats passed in silence. “I…I did,” Ven finally answered from within Sora’s heart. “She was…she was so _strong._ ” He sounded as if he was proud of her.

“Then you have nothing to fear,” the Master said. “Aqua will return to us. She has strength beyond what any of us can imagine. Only one as strong as she could have survived more than a decade in the Realm of Darkness.”

Ventus nodded, Sora’s head relaying the action. “Right.”

“In truth, Mickey could accomplish this task alone,” Yen Sid clarified. “If my belief is correct, all Aqua needs us to do is open the door. She can find her way to it alone.” He turned now, walking back to his desk. “Riku, I still wish for you to go. The King needs you there to help him.”

“Y-yes,” Riku stuttered, taken aback by the Master’s sudden address. “Of course. I’ll help him.”

“I had no doubt that you would.” The Master sat once more. “Ventus, if I send Sora to the Realm of Darkness, we risk losing not only him, not only you, but two more hearts that rest inside him. I trust you can sense them too. One of them is named Roxas.”

“I…understand,” Ventus said slowly. “And yes. I…I can sense him. Sora thought I was him.”

The Master nodded, not bothering to explain how Ven would know that. “And you can understand the pain that Aqua would feel if she returned to this realm knowing it came at the cost of losing you?”

“Yes.” The answer came immediately this time.

“Then you understand why I cannot allow you to go.” The Master paused, resting his elbows on the desk. He placed his fingertips together. “Sora, do you understand this as well?”

Riku gasped again, watching as Sora’s happy-go-lucky expression returned. He raised a hand to wipe his eyes, looking around the room. “Uh…yeah, I think so. What happened?” he glanced at Riku. “Was I crying?”

“Yeah, cause you’re a big softie!” Donald said, quick as ever. He shared a knowing look with Riku, who smiled back at him. One day he was going to have to thank Donald and Goofy for taking such good care of Sora.

“I guess I am,” Sora mumbled, pressing a hand against his heart. A soft smile stole his features. He looked over at Riku. “You should probably get going.”

“I agree,” Master Yen Sid said. “Mickey might become reckless if he has to wait any longer.”

“Right,” Riku said. He still didn’t completely understand what had just happened, but he didn’t have time to wait. Mickey, Sora, and…Ventus…were right. They had run out of time to waste. He turned for the door and left the chamber, overhearing the beginning of another conversation as he made to close the door.

“So, uh. What should I do now?” Sora asked.

Riku’s curiosity got the better of him. He left the door ajar behind him, hoping he could catch one last snippet. Deliberately, he slowed himself, sure that he would be able to make up the lost time on the way down. _Sorry Mickey,_ he thought. _I’ll make it up to you._

The Master finally answered. “Sora, you now possess the Power of Waking. It is time we perfect that power so that we can save those who are lost to us.”

“Yeah!” Sora was cheerful. It was getting hard to hear them now. “But uh…wait. We don’t know where Ventus or Terra are.”

“No. But there are two other hearts that sleep within yours. Even without replicas, we may have a way forward yet. But, we will need help.” The Master paused again.

“Help? From who?” Sora asked, confusion clear in his voice.

“Donald,” the Master said. “I need you to contact Merlin. We will need Lea and Kairi’s for this.” Riku stopped at the names, his breath catching. “Sora, if I understand correctly, you were able to save Elsa’s heart with the help of Anna, a Princess of Heart and her sister.”

“Yup! But, uh. Not that I won’t be happy to see them, but what do we need Lea and Kairi for?”

“It may be necessary to imitate the situation in which you saved Elsa. Therefore, we need a Princess of Heart, and somebody with a connection to the sleeping heart in question.” The Master paused. “We must proceed carefully, if we wish to truly return Roxas to this world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love anything involving Sora's heart hotel, so this may have been a self-indulgent way to sneak that into this fic. This chapter mainly sets up events that will occur in 2-4 chapters, so that when Sora and company next pop up, it's not without explanation. Riku, Mickey, Kairi, Axel, and Roxas will all have parts to play as the story progresses in the second part, and this interlude helps maneuver them into position for those roles. 
> 
> Some things to explain:
> 
> -Referring back to last chapter, Sora ended up battling a dark Elsa in addition to Hans's Heartless. Then, using the POW on top of that knocked him out for a bit. They were still in Arendelle when he woke up but immediately headed to the tower. I wrote this out but ended up cutting it when I went back and edited the past few chapters.  
> -So yes, what happened in Chapter 3 was that Sora used the Power of Waking to save Elsa. I have a fragile understanding of the Power of Waking at best, but I'm hoping my version works with what we know. If not...I'm at peace with that. I do like the idea, though, that the Power of Waking needs to be refined like any other ability.  
> -Timeline-wise, this Interlude occurs roughly simultaneously as what happens in Chapter 5. Since time moves faster in the Realm of Light, by the time Aqua hears Ven at the end of the last chapter, Sora has already reached the tower. In other words, it takes a long time for Ven's words to reach Aqua in the Realm of Darkness.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Comments are greatly appreciated!


	7. Dive to the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua dives to her heart.

**_Part Two: Adrift in Twilight_ **

“Aqua.”

Somebody said her name. She opened her eyes, hearing the word reverberate seemingly endlessly in the dark around her. It occurred to her that she was falling. Falling toward something, in fact, and headfirst, too. Curiously, that didn’t wrench a scream from her throat. Rationally, it should, but she wasn’t alarmed. Instead, she felt peaceful. She floated down to whatever was below, light as a feather, content and unafraid.

She sensed the ground coming up beneath her. With barely any effort, she flipped her body to land gently on the floor, crouching into a stance as she did so. As she rose, white doves fluttered out of the floor. They swirled around her; blue eyes watched as they flew up and away, disappearing into thin air. The darkness around her might have frightened her, but it was warm and comfortable, embracing her. As she adjusted, she realized a light was shining on her, as if the sun was peeking through a window high above her.

Aqua’s eyes scanned the surface on which she stood. It was beautiful, like the stained-glass windows at the Land of Departure. A midnight blue outline garnished the edge of the design, giving way to a soft lavender ring. Dark violet lines crisscrossed through the ring in the form of V’s. Within the boundaries of the lavender ring lay another, bright cerulean and thicker than the others. Decorating the cerulean ring were familiar black symbols. Unconsciously, a hand caressed the silver emblem at her chest as a faint voice inside her whispered the words _Mark of Mastery._

Enclosed at the platform’s center was a familiar sight – the Land of Departure. Or, rather, as Aqua had last seen it: A castle with green roofs, its walls a mix of brown and gold, floors and towers jutting from every possible orifice and lying nonsensically on their sides. A dark mist swirled around the castle, obscuring the building from the light. Aqua was certain she should have experienced sorrow. Still, only felt serenity.

Something else drew her attention. Stretching from the far end of the platform to where she stood now, the glass beneath her displayed an intricate design of Aqua herself. Stormfall was in the design’s right hand where it belonged. For the first time since waking, Aqua felt a pang of emotion, encouraged by nostalgic memories of her beloved weapon. Her eyes examined the design further. Surrounding the mosaic’s head like a crown was an aquamarine circle. Its jewels: Her Wayfinder and the faces of Terra, Ven, Mickey, and Master Eraqus.

Everything around her felt intimately familiar, yet she had never been here before. _Where am I?_ she thought, raising a hand to her cheek. It was wet, somehow. Was she crying? The sight of her four friends must have woken the sorrow inside her. _My friends…_ Yes, she knew them, somehow. Aqua wanted to step forward and investigate the design in closer detail, but she found that she couldn’t move from where she stood. Worry bubbled in her, her emotions awakened once more.

_Don’t be afraid._

Aqua’s eyes widened, but the worry and sorrow disappeared. Somebody had spoken to her, their voice reassuring. It calmed her, returned her to tranquility. The voice was familiar and foreign at once, simultaneously remarkable yet curiously forgettable, just like everything else about this place. _Who was that? Did they even speak to me?_ She wanted to call out a question, but found that like her body, her mouth, too, was frozen, her ability to speak sealed away.

_You have nothing to fear._

Warmth spread through her again, quelling the concern. She nodded, pleased that she could still move part of her body. _Who are you?_ she thought, wondering if the voice was listening in on her inner monologue.

_A friend._

The voice came from inside her, a dreamy thought that trickled away like water through her cupped hands the second she heard it. Just as Aqua was certain she knew the voice, every inkling of recognition faded, replaced by a wondering question: _Is it real?_ She gazed around the perimeter again, but no new sights had appeared.

_Your journey has only just begun._

“A journey…” she repeated softly. Dully, she realized she could speak again. She vaguely remembered having gone on a journey once. At first, it was joyful: a comforting home, new friends, exciting sights. However, as her mind ran through the memories, she grew distressed. Her Master, her friends, lost to her forever while she was banished to the utmost darkness. And then…she shuddered. The light from the window above flickered. “Did I…Am I dead?” she asked.

_All that has happened has prepared you for the adventure to come._  
Aqua blinked, confused. “I don’t understand,” she said slowly, her last memory replaying before her. She was certain that she had drowned, pulled to the depths by the phantom. Part of her was scared, terrified that she had reached the end when she was so close. Yet she also felt a strange ease and contentment. Relief at the possibility of rest. “What is this place?”

_You have more strength than you know._

For some reason, she blushed at the remark. Aqua was far too humble to accept the compliment but still enough of a teacher’s pet for an odd rush of smug pride. She focused, however, feeling the fear burning within her intensifying. It was as though each second that passed returned more of her emotional capacity to her. She could feel the contentment slipping away, falling out of reach.

_If you wish, you can keep it._

She could? Aqua was ready to answer yes, wanting nothing more than to feel the bliss of peace forever.

_But those lost to you now will be lost forever should you take it._

Aqua caught herself. Almost in perfect time with the voice’s warning, her eyes landed on the faces of Terra and Ven. Their eyes were closed. So too were her eyes, and the eyes of Master Eraqus. Only the King’s eyes remained open. Now, Aqua understood. _I’m dying,_ she realized. _The phantom’s drowning me, out there…wherever here is._ But the voice was offering her a choice. Give in to sleep….or…

Her eyes widened again, and she took a nervous step back, feet suddenly unfrozen. Darkness swirled at the other end of the platform, taking on the shape of a familiar enemy. A Neoshadow appeared at the other side of the platform. Its bright yellow eyes registered Aqua’s presence. In just seconds, the creature would lunge at her, just as so many had before. She could let it. If she did, she’d enjoy the eternal comfort of sleep. Surely that was what the warmth of the darkness around her meant – a final, eternal embrace as she drifted off.

_Will you fight?_

Fire rushed through her at the question. Deep within her, she knew the choice. Always had known the choice. What other choice would she make? It was ridiculous to even consider the other option. Not when her friends needed her. “Yes,” Aqua declared. Another battle loomed. Sleep would have to wait.

“Take it.”

As the words rang out in the silence, a bright light flashed in the center of the platform. It drew Aqua’s attention away from the voice. Floating in a cloud of blue in front of her was a weapon. A Keyblade.

_Her_ Keyblade.

Aqua’s heart cried out at the sight of Stormfall, but tears would have to come later. The Neoshadow rushed toward her. Aqua lunged out, a hand already reaching for her Keyblade. She reached it in just two bounds; the Heartless had yet to cover half the same distance. She wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the blade. Euphoria took her by storm. The blade resonated in her hand, seemingly as pleased to be reunited with her as she was with it. Power rushed through her, connecting with the strength of her heart. She flew through the air, seemingly freed from the limitations of the ground. She pulled the Keyblade back as she came within reach of the Neoshadow. Stormfall completed the move, slicing across the enemy in one clean line.

Aqua landed at the other end of the platform, one knee on the ground, her head bowed. The Heartless was no more.

She stood, her nerves on fire, heart hammering against her ribs. A marble white door had appeared before her, two stained-glass windows carved into the stone. Perhaps the voice had more instructions to offer, but Aqua had waited long enough. She raised Stormfall. Light shot out from the tip, connecting with a previously hidden Keyhole on the door. It swung open, and Aqua stepped through.

Another platform. Warm colors hit her eyes – red, orange, and yellow. She ran to the center of the platform and stopped, looking down. Her companion from the beach! Just as her figure had decorated the previous platform, so too did his. She could see him fully now, a man with long blonde hair and matching goatee. He wore a white lab coat, a red scarf wrapped around his neck and draped over his back. His amber eyes were just as comforting as Aqua remembered.

_Many allies await you._

She nodded. From the center of the mosaic, she took in her surroundings. In the background of the stained-glass lay a familiar sight. _Radiant Garden? That must be his home,_ she realized. Like her mosaic, other faces were contained within circles in the design. Unlike hers, the design had divided the faces along the man’s side. On both sides, three faces stood in a column, for a grand total of six. Deep within her, Aqua felt a vague sense of recognition – some of these men looked familiar. Curiously, it appeared as if somebody had smashed the upper left face with a hammer, leaving it broken and shattered.

Had Aqua stood there longer, she might have recognized one of the faces in more detail, realized she had fought it in the last few memories she had of the Realm of Light. But just as she turned to face the other end of the platform, six figures appeared, one for each of the circles – even the smashed one. Each dressed in the same black coat that her companion had worn when she met him on the beach.

_As do many enemies._

The coats fell, revealing six unfamiliar enemies. They were silver, their flexible, snakelike limbs hanging from their sides as they shifted weight from left to right. A symbol similar to the Mark of Mastery decorated their heads. Though they didn’t have eyes, she could feel them staring at her. Aqua didn’t recognize these creatures, but it didn’t matter. She raised her Keyblade, and though the creatures moved fast, she moved faster. Six confident slashes of Stormfall later, and they, too, faded into nothingness.

At the other end of the platform, several smaller stained-glass platforms appeared. _A staircase?_ Aqua ran forward, wasting no time. Heartless appeared once more as she ran up the steps, but they were no match for her. She dispatched them with ease, reaching the next platform.

“Elsa!” she gasped, taken aback by the bright sky-blue design that greeted her. Yet the Princess was not alone at the center of the glass. Another girl, a brunette, stood beside her. _Anna,_ the air around her whispered. Both were smiling, their eyes wide open. And among the faces that surrounded them lay Aqua and Sora’s faces. _Their friends,_ she realized.

_Trust in the power of the light._

Out of nowhere, Neoshadows and those silver creatures appeared, more than she had yet encountered. She was surrounded! Aqua gripped her Keyblade as the enemies ran at her. She couldn’t take them all at once, not without –

“Thundaga!” she screamed instinctively. No matter how skilled a mage Aqua was, the power of the Keyblade would always amplify the terrifying strength of her magic. With Stormfall in her hands, the thundaga became a force of nature. Lightning flashed through the darkness, hundreds of bolts bursting from the sky, wind suddenly rushing across the platform. Despite the enormity of the spell, it had barely used any of her mana. When the dust cleared, no enemies remained.

_Trust in the power of your light._

Another set of steps. Aqua ran forward again, but this time, no Heartless appeared to interrupt her path. But not for long. She climbed, arriving at the next platform to find it already swarming with enemies.

_Do not fear the darkness._

“Unversed!” she gasped. Is he here? Her eyes searched frantically for Vanitas as her body went on auto-pilot. She slashed at the Floods, certain that their master must be close, but he didn’t appear. More magic shot out from Stormfall, bursts of fire, water, blizzard, and thunder, but each enemy that was dispatched was somehow replaced by even more Unversed.

_How are there so many?_ Aqua thought as she slashed again. Suddenly, her Keyblade trembled in her hands. A grin stole her features – of course. Stormfall spun out from her hand, floating in the air as Aqua laid into enemies. It spun around at her command, light bursting forth as it connected with the Unversed. The enemies perished quickly, now unable to replenish themselves. Aqua gathered power, the blade returning to her hands as she began to spin and unleash the power of Spellweaver. A twister of light surrounded her, and with it, she cleared the platform of the remaining threast. Panting, she steadied herself, glancing at the glass below her.

In the mosaic, Aqua found both Maleficents. The one Aqua had met laid in the glass to her right, her eyes closed but dark wings unfurled, somehow returned to her body. The one Aqua had fought was on her left, the horrid eyes mocking Aqua even in this static form. Green flames and dark thorns decorated the space where the wings should have been. Above and between the two, Aurora’s castle was emblazoned on the platform, and from this scenery, another door had emerged.

_It is only the light’s shadow._

“Vanitas!” Aqua shouted. He _had_ to be here! Slowly, the Master crossed to the door, every sense on alert for the enemy. _How are the Unversed here if he isn’t?_ she thought, raising Stormfall. Once again, the marble white doors swung open with ease, and Aqua stepped through, expecting Vanitas on the other side.

Instead, Aqua screamed as she fell out of the door, no platform on the other side of the door to greet her. Unlike before, she rocketed down into the emptiness at high speed. Frantically, she brandished the Keyblade, attempting to turn it into a glider, but to no avail. She was falling to her death! _This can’t be happening!_ her mind screamed.

_Many hearts connect to yours._

As if on command, Aqua came to a sudden halt in mid-air. Her vision blurred, stars swimming before her eyes while her stomach somersaulted inside her. The nausea almost overwhelmed her. Below her, something exploded. Bright colored stones suddenly filled the air like an asteroid field. Aqua spun, eyes wildly scanning around her. Something flew past her, a high-pitched whistle ringing in her ears. Then - a collision, another explosion, and two screams.

Ven and Vanitas suddenly flashed past her, Keyblades clashing in mid-air. Every time their Keyblades met, an image of their battle remained, until the air around her filled with projections of the two boys. Aqua watched, unable to break free of whatever force held her above the fight. Ven and Vanitas connected again, but this time, a beam of light shot from each of their blades The light blinded Aqua, but it quickly disappeared as Ven knocked Vanitas back, raising his Keyblade to deliver the final blow.

Without warning, Aqua fell again, the scene gone. This time, however, another platform appeared under her. Bright green, six Wayfinders etched into the design, and Ven’s sleeping figure captured at the bottom. Her heart flew into her throat, emotions suddenly choking her. Despite the velocity at which she dropped to the floor, Aqua landed at the center of the platform with barely any impact on the glass. Immediately, she heard a voice.

“Roxas?”

_That’s…Sora?!_ She spun, unable to speak, and quickly found Sora to her right. Her mouth dropped as Sora walked toward her – no, _through_ her, as if she wasn’t even there. She turned again, watching as he approached Ven.

_Ven._

Every other emotion left her at the sight, replaced with delirious joy. Aqua’s heart cried out as Ven, safe from Vanitas, tears lining his face, turned to face Sora. Inexplicably, his eyes were happy. How badly she wanted to hold him in her arms again, protect him from all the evil in the world just as she once had.

“She’s alive!” he cried.

“Who is?” Sora asked, clearly confused.

_He’s talking about me,_ Aqua realized, her heart beating rapidly. Sora faded suddenly, and her eyes connected with Ven’s. _Can he see me?_ She tried to yell his name, but she couldn’t. His eyes stared through her. “Aqua,” he whispered. At the last second, a look of realization took over his features – _he saw her._ But then, he was gone, replaced by another door.

One beat passed.

“What’s going on?!” Aqua shouted, slamming Stormfall against the ground in frustration. Despite the force of the impact, the stained-glass remained untarnished. _Every time I think I’m getting somewhere!_ “Why am I seeing this?” she shouted, now furious at being tantalized with the sight of her friend. “I know you’re there! Answer me!”

_So you know the fights you have left._

“What does that mean?” she retorted hotly. Aqua raised her Keyblade, unlocking the door before her. Angrily, she strode forward.

“Aqua.”

Aqua spun around, rage gone in an instant. “Ven?” she asked breathlessly.

He smiled at her, eyes warm. Magically, the tears had disappeared, as if hours had passed since he last cried. _He heard me,_ Aqua realized, body shaking. Ven had somehow reappeared, as if whatever force that governed this place had heard the wish in Aqua’s heart. She couldn’t stop it: She fell to her knees, overcome by joyful crying. “ _Ven,_ ” she sobbed.

“Hey!” He ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Aqua pressed herself into Ven’s embrace, smelling his scent. _I’m not letting go ever again._ “A-are you really here?” she asked through the tears, her voice muffled by Ven’s body.

“Of course I’m here, silly,” he said. His voice was whispered, shaky – he was trying to keep from crying again, too. But it wasn’t working.

“Ven – I’m so sorry,” she cried, muffled in the apprentice’s hug. “For everything. I should’ve kept you safe.”

“ _You’re_ sorry?” Ven asked. He pulled her closer, laughing through his tears. “I’m the one who should apologize. Everything that happened was because of me.”

“No-”

“We’re not gonna convince each other,” Ven whispered quickly, his tone half-joking. Aqua nodded; they could argue that point at another time. All that mattered now was that Ven was here, he was real, and she was able to see him, speak to him, hold him again. Slowly, they helped each other back to their feet. Aqua pulled back slightly, so that she could see Ven’s face. He still looked exactly the same, hadn’t aged at all. “You…Ven, you still look the same.”

“I do?” Ven asked, surprised by the question.

“Yeah,” Aqua affirmed, wiping her eyes.

Ven nodded. “I guess that makes sense. _You_ look the same, too.”  
She could hear the lie in his voice. She clucked her tongue, suddenly putting on a playfully scolding face. “Ven,” she began.

“Sorry!” He released her from his embrace, raising a hand behind his head sheepishly. Then his features darkened as he looked at her again – _really_ looked at her now, seeing her for the first time without the filter of shock. He looked like he was about to make an unfortunate diagnosis. “It’s just…Aqua, you look so tired. Like at any second you’re gonna drop dead.” His face grew suddenly red again as he looked down.

“Hey – it’s okay. I’m sure I do.” She laughed weakly, not wanting to upset Ven further. “I…I’ve been through a lot. Trying to find you and Terra.”

“Are you…are you still down there?”

Aqua blinked. “The Realm of Darkness?” she asked. He nodded, confusing her. “Did Sora tell you?”

“Sora?” Ven replied uncertainly.

“Wait.” Aqua paused, studying him. “I...I just saw you. You were talking to Sora. You’re with him, right? In the Realm of Light?”

Ven bit his lip, looking down at the ground. “ _I told them,_ ” he muttered softly, his fists suddenly clenching.

“Told who?” He shook his head, meeting her eyes again. Suddenly, he flickered out of existence. Aqua reached a hand out, a scream nearly escaping her, but he reappeared seconds later. His eyes were suddenly fearful, though; he understood what had just happened. “What-” Aqua started.

“I don’t know,” he admitted quickly. He shook his head, looking at Aqua again, suddenly determined. He took her hands, grasping them tightly as he looked into her eyes. “I…I don’t know how we’re talking to each other, but I don’t think we have a lot of time.”

“Ven-”

“Aqua, listen to me.” Aqua silenced herself immediately at the command. Ven’s eyes were suddenly older, more mature. “I…Well, I guess I am _with_ Sora. But not the way you think.” He looked around them, gesturing weakly. “After…after everything with Xehanort and Vanitas, I ended up here. I heard Sora’s voice, and…well, I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. It’s like…it’s like I’m living inside of Sora.”

At the words, he vanished again. Aqua held still, unsure if he would return. But he did, his grip suddenly returning to her as if he had never let go. “Ven, what are you talking about?” she asked quickly as the boy realized he disappeared again.

He shook his head. “I don’t have time to explain. Aqua, listen to me.” He took a shaky breath, speeding through words. “Vanitas is back – Aqua!” She had been about to interrupt him, but she quieted herself. “Xehanort’s planning something, something about a fight between us and him. I only get glimpses, I don’t know the full story. Aqua, they need us. They need _you_.” He paused, eyes looking directly into hers. “ _I_ need you. Sora can wake me now, but he doesn’t know where I am. You have to help him.”

Her heart fell. “I-I thought-” she began.

“I know,” he said softly, smiling sadly at her. “I thought that you were safe, too.” His voice shook as he said that. “Sora…Sora’s the reason we could see each other, I think. Because when you two saved Elsa, his heart touched yours.” He pulled her into an embrace once more as they both realized what was coming. “Aqua, you’re so close to getting out,” he whispered. “I know you are.”

And like that, Ven vanished.

Aqua stood frozen, her hands wrapped around a friend who was no longer there. She choked down the sobs that attempted to resurface, shakily raising a hand to wipe her eyes. _Enough tears,_ she told herself yet again, wishing that she could hold herself to the pledge. _I’ll have time to cry once I’m in the Realm of Light._ She steadied herself, compartmentalizing the emotions while her mind raced through all that Ven had just told her, unsure if it was real or a hallucination. _It felt real. He said it was real._

“Living inside Sora,” she muttered aloud, turning to face the door again. She wanted to move forward, but her body was trembling too hard to move. Aqua breathed deeply, thinking through the conversation. Ven _inside_ Sora? To anyone else, it would be impossible, but she had seen it before. The face flashed before her eyes, assaulting the bittersweet memories of the moment she had just experienced. _Like Terra and Xehanort?_ “No,” Aqua mumbled, thinking aloud. “Or maybe like that, but…not the same.”

Xehanort. Ven had confirmed what she already knew – he was back in the Realm of Light, torturing innocents again. Her fists clenched unconsciously at the thought, nails digging into her palms. But it wasn’t just Xehanort. Vanitas was back, too. _Vanitas!_ She gasped, spinning around again, Stormfall in her grip. She had fought the Unversed here, had seen Vanitas fighting Ven! But…Aqua remembered what had happened at the Keyblade Graveyard. _Of course. A memory._ Vanitas had been reunited with Ven. Had that been the battle taking place within his heart while she fought him?

“Within his heart,” she repeated aloud. She looked at the mosaic on the ground again. “Inside of Sora,” she mumbled. She understood now. “I’m…I’m in in Ven’s heart. And Ven’s heart is inside Sora.”

_Many hearts connect to yours,_ the absent voice repeated.

Aqua nodded, considering the words. _Sora’s heart touched mine?_ She mulled it over. _My heart connected to his…_ “When we saved Elsa,” she concluded. “Oh. I’m in my heart.”

Aqua smiled, proud of herself for solving the question for all of three seconds before she understood what the answer meant. _I’m in my heart?!?!_ She felt dizzy suddenly and nearly collapsed, Stormfall clattering to the floor as she reached a hand against the doorframe to steady herself. “Oh god! I’m dying, and I’m in my heart.” _And Sora and Ven are here, too._ “Holy _shit._ What is going on?!” She raced through her memories, searching through every book she had read and every conversation with the Master, but nothing came to her that explained how _she was literally inside her heart._

“I’m…I’m dreaming,” Aqua muttered, closing her eyes. “No, I’m hallucinating before I die. That’s it, right? Oh my god.”

_A thin line separates the Realm of Sleep and the Realm Beyond._

_I’m losing it,_ Aqua realized. She bit the inside of her mouth, trying to prove to herself that she wasn’t dreaming. Relieved, she felt a sharp pain from the bite. She sunk to the ground, both hands pressed against the doorframe as she tried to calm her breathing. _Okay. I’m smart. I can handle this. I can do this._ “I’m inside my heart. Right, that’s…that’s totally normal. _Think._ ” She forced her mind back onto the message Ven had given her, dizzying shock transforming into a sad realization. It at once crushed her yet calmed her, tying her to reality.

_Ven’s not awake._

But.

_Sora can wake him. All he needs is Ven’s body._

But.

_I’m the only one who knows where he is._

She looked down at Stormfall, lying where she had dropped it. Her mind imagined Master Defender there, the sole key to unlocking the Land of Departure and saving Ven. For the first time since Stormfall had reappeared, she was unhappy to see it. _I’m no closer than I was before,_ she thought bitterly.

_You’re closer than you think._

“I’ve thought that before,” she mumbled, hands grasping the hilt of the blade.

_Aqua, you’re so close to getting out. I know you are._

She sighed, hearing the words again in her mind. Had that voice replayed them for her? Either way… _Ven’s waiting for me,_ she reminded herself. Resolve returned, banishing the doubt and fear once more. “I can figure this out later,” she muttered, standing up straight. She looked at the door, still ajar from when she had opened it before. White light spilled from the frame, but she was certain this wasn’t her way out. _He’d be excited by it._ She smirked. “Wonder what’s next.”

She stepped through the door.

Instinctively, Aqua raised her arm, blocking the sun – _The sun?!_ The arm lowered as Aqua’s mouth fell open. Eyes wincing, she walked forward on the light brick walkway beneath her. In the distance, the sun – somehow, miraculously, _the sun_ – was setting on the horizon, the sky awash with burnt tones of orange, red, and pink. Unconsciously, Aqua kept walking toward the sun, a hand reaching out as she felt the light on her skin. _Am I in the Realm of Light?_ she thought, bewildered by the sudden change of scenery.

Now that her eyes had adjusted, Aqua studied her surroundings. _I’m…I’m in a town._ She walked to the ledge of the tower, breathing the smell of the late Summer air. She was at the highest point in the town, overlooking the peaceful yet sloping streets. _This doesn’t make sense. What happened to the stained-glass?_ She could see a train track running through and around the city, all routes converging on this building. The entire town seemed to be painted warm, earthy tones of brown mixing with red and orange, like a sunset come to life. It was a cozy world, one where she could easily drowse off and rest under the shade.

If she had the time, of course.

She waited for the guiding voice to offer some sort of mysterious hint, but none came. Aqua looked around for a door, but the one through which she entered had disappeared. “Am I supposed to go looking?” she wondered aloud to herself as she leaned against the ledge, elbows placed against the stone. Lazily, she examined the streets below. _Am I on another world?_ It was plausible. If, somehow, she had returned to the Realm of Light, maybe this was where the door led. But this town didn’t feel like the Realm of Light. Yes, the sun was warm against her skin, but something was off. Beneath the warm demeanor, the entire place felt like a ghost town.

_A ghost town._ Aqua’s heartrate increased slightly as she realized what was missing. Her eyes scanned the streets, confirming her guess. “There’s nobody here,” she muttered, suddenly perturbed. The entire town, she now realized, was completely silent, as if pulled out of a dream. “This can’t be the Realm of Light.”

_Am I still in Sora’s heart?_

“Who are you?”

Aqua’s breath hitched. That voice was way too familiar, too warm. She turned, a smile spreading across her face. “Ven!” she exclaimed. She took a step toward the boy but faltered as she studied him. _It’s…It’s too strange,_ she thought hesitantly. _Too soon to see him again._ She held his face in her grasp, examining the tanned skin and slightly darker hair. _He…he looks like Ven._ But –

“Who the hell is Ven?” he asked. His voice, previously warm, had changed in an instant. Now, it unmistakably issued a challenge.

In a flash, Aqua’s disposition changed too. She stepped back into a battle stance, hand raised to summon a Keyblade. Whoever this kid was, it was decidedly _not_ Ven. They might look similar, but Aqua _knew_ Ven. Knew his voice. Right now, the only thing connecting this kid to her friend was the pissed-off look on his face. Mistrust flooded her; someone was using one of her friend’s bodies _again._ “Why do you look like him?” she demanded, her voice low.

He returned her glare, hand out to the side. “I’m sick of people asking me that!” A bright white Keyblade appeared in his hand, his black coat rippling in the sudden wind. The same coat that the Seeker and the man had worn. “The only person I look like is _me!_ Nobody else!” He raised the Keyblade, pointing it directly at Aqua. She didn’t blink, calling the threat. “Who the hell are you?”

“My name is Aqua.” She narrowed her eyes, assuming her battle stance. Whoever this kid was, he wasn’t like the enemies she’d battled on the platforms. “And you’re using my friend’s body.”

Before the Realm of Darkness, Aqua would never instigate a fight unless it was clear she was fighting a force of pure evil. Even when fighting Terra’s possessed body, she had waited until it struck first. But looking at this kid who looked _exactly_ like Ven but was so clearly _not Ven_ only reminded Aqua of the last two people to use Ven and Terra’s bodies. It didn’t matter where she was or what else had happened to her. This was yet another enemy determined to use her friend’s body for itself.

He met her strike, the clash of the blades ringing through the empty town. Aqua’s eyes met Roxas’s, both sets murderous. Aqua forced him back, unleashing a sudden barrage of strikes that gave him no choice but to defend. It was a dangerous move, but Aqua rarely entered a fight without a calculation. If she gave this kid the impression that she was a sloppy brawler, he would leave openings for himself. _I can take hits._ Terra had proven that.

She had him backed into a corner now, still assaulting with her blade. He was grunting with the effort of defending himself. Grunting way too much. _Like he’s trying to – Shit!_ Aqua backflipped away, dodging the attack by the skin of her teeth. She landed on the ledge of the building, eyes widening at the sight before her. “Two?!”

Roxas screamed as he ran at her, both blades dragging against the brick, sparks flying from the tips. Now the positions were reversed. Aqua’s barrier flew up around her as the blonde struck at her mercilessly, her plan torn to shreds. _How does he have two?_ No time to think, just to defend. _He’s fast!_ Too fast for her shield – she couldn’t blow him back like usual. Aqua gritted her teeth, readying a back-up plan in case he managed to break the barrier. It hadn’t happened before, but –

He disappeared! Aqua’s breath hitched, and then she was gone too. Roxas’s full form burst out of a tiny particle of light, having somehow gotten through Aqua’s barrier! He swung, but Aqua had caught on to what was going to happen. She reappeared behind him, her blade raised, but he was too fast for her to hit, using the same light maneuver to distance himself.

The two flew at each other again, Keyblades slamming against each other. Aqua dived out of the way to avoid the follow-up attack from the black Keyblade he held. Simultaneously, both wielders flung a firaga at one another. The spells connected, a magnificent burst of flames hiding each from the other’s view. Roxas leapt through the flames, the battle now somehow playing out _over_ the town, the laws of physics irrelevant. He searched for her, blades ready, but Aqua had disappeared again.

Roxas stopped, waited. “Where is she?” he muttered, eyes scanning the area for her. “I know you’re there!”

“Do you?” Aqua taunted. Suddenly, eight clones of Aqua appeared around Roxas, wandering around him aimlessly. Her question echoed, whispered by the projections. Roxas hacked his way through them, but Aqua herself wasn’t among the clones. He huffed, eyes wild with anger. The real Aqua, meanwhile, stood several feet away, hidden behind the wall of the clock tower. She peered around it, watching as Roxas demolished her projections, studying the way he attacked.

And she had noticed a weakness.

_Go for his legs._ When Roxas used both Keyblades to attack, he put all his body into their strikes – but that meant he had to lean forward, which put him off balance. His recovery was fast – _impressively_ fast. But it was unnecessary. He had learned to make the adjustment without acknowledging the consequences or realizing its cause; Aqua doubted he was aware of it. Fighting the Heartless like that was fine, but in a battle with a trained wielder, it was a death sentence.

He saw her peering out from her hiding spot and ran at her again, and she met him. Their blades swung at each other again, Aqua doing her best to draw him into attacking her with both. _Let him hit you!_ Part of her was already dreading how much it would hurt to be knocked by two blades at the same time. Fortunately, she didn’t have to endure an attack. After several parried blows, Roxas finally swiped up at Aqua’s Keyblade with Oblivion while bringing Oathkeeper around to slice at Aqua’s side.

He leaned forward as the blade reached Aqua.

She smirked, pointing one finger at the sky below them. “Blizzard.”

The spell hit right under his feet. Suddenly on ice with all his weight shifted forward, Roxas fell immediately, blades dropping from his grasp. Aqua quickly twirled out of the way of damage and then rained down a thundaga on Roxas. A direct hit, and one that left that blonde face down.

_No way he’s done,_ Aqua told herself, raising her blade as she prepared to fly in and strike Ven’s impostor. _I’m ending this._

A hand reached out, holding her back. Aqua’s eyes darted to the gloved hand on her wrist, then followed it to the cloaked figure standing next to her, the same cloak that Roxas wore. The hood covered their face, shadows hiding all their features from the Master. Yet the cloak could not mask height; this new arrival was at least a foot shorter than Aqua, no taller than her current enemy.

“There’s no need to fight him,” they said, their voice gentle, feminine. _A girl?_ Aqua wondered. Their voice was genuine, yet somehow sad. It had the oddest effect on Aqua. Immediately, she felt calmer, as if she hadn’t been about to deal a final blow to an enemy. The figure pulled their hand off Aqua’s wrist, gesturing back to Roxas. Aqua’s eyes followed, watching as he shakily maneuvered back to his feet. He circled the spot where he stood, both blades back in his hand. His eyes landed right on Aqua.

“Where did you go?!” he screamed, eyes leaving her as he continued to search.

Aqua turned to the figure next to her. “He…”

“Can’t see us,” they confirmed. A faint sigh came. “Or hear us. I’m sorry. My fault.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Aqua advised as she watched Roxas continue his hunt. Eventually, the blonde let out an angry yell, his weapons disappearing. He stormed back across the sky to the ledge, an exaggerated huff coming from him as he sat on the ledge. “You stopped us from fighting.” _Stopped me from fighting._ Another mistake for Aqua to regret, later. “Who is he?”

“His name is Roxas,” they said.

“Roxas,” Aqua repeated. The name was familiar. _Sora said it._ “Does Sora know him?” The hooded figure nodded. “He…looks like my friend.”

“Yes. Ven.”

“You know him?!”

They nodded again. “Let’s sit.”

“Next to him?”

“He can’t see us.”

Aqua wasn’t so certain about that, but she followed the cloaked figure across the sky – _I’m walking across the sky!_ And yet that was not the oddest occurrence of her time here. The cloaked figure sat next to Roxas, only a few feet between them. Aqua set next to them, wanting to be as far away from the boy as she could. Roxas, meanwhile, had reached into his coat and pulled out a sky-blue ice cream. He held the popsicle stick lazily in his fingers, examining it with his brow furrowed, as if that ice cream held all the answers in the world.

“Do you know where you are?” the figure asked Aqua.

“Like…specifically?” Aqua asked, gesturing around them.

The figure laughed. “This is Roxas’s heart,” they replied.

_His heart. I’m inside another person’s heart. Again._ “Uh. It…it looks different from the ones I’ve been in.”

They nodded. “I know. I’ve seen Ven and Sora’s, too.” They sighed again, looking over at the now silent Roxas. “This place means a lot to him,” they explained.

Aqua nodded, but quickly backtracked, intrigued by the previous comment. “You’ve-”

“Seen Ven and Sora’s hearts? Yes. I’m connected to all three of them. Or, rather…we’re all connected, together. Somehow.” Their face was still turned to Roxas, examining him. Aqua wanted to ask a follow-up question, but she sensed that the girl was contemplating something. Another sigh. “He’s not coming.” They and Roxas said it in unison, their voices intertwining in the silence of the town. They looked back at Aqua as Roxas closed his eyes, set the ice cream down, and pulled his knees up to his chest. His face was sad, suddenly. Abandoned. Forgotten. More sad than Aqua had ever seen Ven look.

“Why does he look so much like Ven?” Aqua asked, an ache suddenly present in her heart. A familiar instinct boiled in her heart, pushing her to reach out and comfort the boy, but she knew better than to try.

“It’s complicated.” They set their hand down on the ledge, looking out at the sunset. “But it’s not his fault. He…he didn’t ask for any of the things that happened to him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Roxas…Roxas and I spent our entire lives being manipulated and lied to. By people we trusted. We were pawns in somebody else’s plan, tools to be used and thrown away once we’d done our jobs. We…we were never supposed to exist. I still don’t know if we do.”

_Don’t exist?_ The statement reminded Aqua of Maleficent. She reached a hand out, placing her palm over one of the gloved hands. “But you do,” Aqua reassured. Their breath hitched at the words. “You’re here. We’re talking to each other. You have every right to exist.” She looked at Roxas again, wondering if she had heard him. “Why can’t he see us?”

“It’s because of me,” the cloaked girl answered. “Before everything, we used to be friends. But…” She shook her head. “We were made from Sora. Made to destroy Sora,” she admitted. Aqua blinked, taken aback at the statement. “Neither of us wanted that. But every second we spent existing hurt Sora. I…I couldn’t let that happen, knowing who he was. So I made a choice, to help him. And when I did, everybody forgot about me.”

They looked at Roxas again. “Sometimes he can see me. For just a few seconds, we sit here and have ice cream like we used to. But…a lot of times he can’t. I think I’m still affecting his memories. Ven can’t see me either, when I wander to his heart. Sora probably doesn’t even know I’m here.”

“You’re…this is another heart inside of Sora’s?” Aqua asked. The figure nodded. _Right. That’s how I’m here, because of Sora,_ she thought. Then, in spite of the seriousness of the situation, she added, _When this is all over, I’m going to spend a week in the library._  
“Roxas knows who Sora is,” they added. “They’ve met before. He doesn’t blame Sora anymore, but he doesn’t like to be reminded of it. Especially by people he doesn’t know.”

_Right. That explains the anger._ A bit ashamed of taunting him into a fight, she asked, “Does he know about Ven?”

“No. He has no idea who Ven is.” They paused. “He’d like him, though. I do. I can’t wait to meet him. Sora, too.”

Aqua nodded, smiling softly. “They have that effect.” Silence followed as the three Keyblade wielders – two unseen by the other – sat on the ledge of the clocktower, watching the sunset. Aqua mulled the conversation over in her head, still stuck on what the two had said in unison. _He’s not coming. Who are they talking about?_ Aqua wanted to ask, but the figure broke the silence first.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

She heard shuffling and looked over as the girl pulled back her hood. Short black hair fell around her face, her blue eyes – the same blue eyes as Sora, Roxas, and Ven, Aqua realized with a jolt – now turned to Aqua. “When you look at me…what do you see?”

The question confused Aqua. _Does she not know what she looks like?_ Aqua hesitated a moment before answering. “I…I see a girl,” she began. Immediately, the girl’s breath caught as she snapped her eyes straight ahead. Aqua reached out for her hand again, sensing unease, but it was like she had said the magic word. The town around them disappeared, Roxas with it. They were left in darkness, just the two of them suspended in mid-air, no platform or door in sight.

Aqua looked around, clutching the girl’s hand. “What happened?” she asked.

A weak sob came. Aqua turned to face the girl again, pulsing her hand to comfort her. Their gaze met as tears dropped from the girl’s cheeks. “Please tell Sora about me,” the girl begged. “Tell him…tell him my name. Xion.”

And she, too, disappeared.

Aqua’s body descended through the air, but not at a breakneck speed as before. Something flashed above her; she looked up but found nothing, just the same warm darkness. _Xion and Roxas._ Aqua had barely conversed with the two, yet her heart ached for both. _I don’t understand half of what’s happening to me, but something awful happened to them._ Were they, too, victims of Xehanort?

_So many hearts are aching for the end of all suffering._

Aqua’s feet hit the next platform as the voice echoed in her head.

_So many hearts awaiting their new beginning._

At Aqua’s presence, light flowed through the stained-glass. Earthy tones spread out around her, brown and gold intertwining around the mosaic. At the center was Terra’s body, eyes closed, Keyblade at his side. Aqua raised a hand to her heart, feeling it ache at the sight. Eyes followed the design, up to the other end of the platform, where both her and Ven’s faces were engraved. And just above them –

“Their birth by sleep.”

“Master?”

The word came out half-choked as Aqua stumbled, dropping to her knees yet again. Master Eraqus stood before her. He looked exactly as Aqua remembered. His eyes were so warm, his face gentler than Aqua had ever seen it. Aqua wanted to reach for him, but he wasn’t really there. No, he was translucent, surrounded by a golden aura. _A ghost?_ He strode – floated? - across the platform to where she knelt. She pressed a hand to her face, wiping the tears away as he knelt in front of her, their eyes meeting.

“Aqua,” he whispered. “I can never begin to apologize for the pain I have caused you.”

He looked down, suddenly unable to keep her gaze. _He’s ashamed?_ It shocked her. For a moment. And then Aqua remembered where she was. She remembered what had happened. She remembered what she had learned.

She remembered Maleficent.

In an instant, Aqua felt cold. She, too, looked away from the Master. The overwhelming emotions that she had just begun feeling disappeared, carried away into the nothingness around them. She stood, walking past the Master to the center of the platform, leaving him where he knelt.

Neither Keyblade Master spoke to one another for several moments. Aqua breathed deeply, trying to choke down a new round of sobs. She was trembling, conflicting emotions welling up inside. Anger at the Master, joy at his sudden appearance, confusion about his presence, sorrow for Maleficent,. Once again, Aqua began by searching for hard, emotionless facts. “You’ve been the one guiding me,” Aqua stated. The words came at a carefully controlled rhythm, their significance a guarded secret from the Master.

“Yes.” She could hear him rise to his feet, but she kept her back turned to him.

“How are you here?” she asked.

“I’m not,” he answered. “Wherever you are, I am not. But I can see you. And you can see me.”

“You’re a projection.” She looked down, eyes taking in the mosaic of Terra in the stained-glass. _Of course. He’s still connected to me._ “From Terra’s heart.”

“Yes. I think you’re correct.” Heat rose to her cheeks. Despite her best efforts, something within her still enjoyed the Master’s praise.

“How?”

“I have never claimed to fully understand matters of the heart,” the Master qualified quietly. “But I believe when he and I fought-” Aqua tensed – “I was able to find my way into his heart. To keep a shadow of myself guiding him, to protect him from Xehanort.”

_Xehanort._ The word broke the wall Aqua had been building inside her; she couldn’t hold the emotions back anymore. Aqua spun to face the Master. “You trusted him!” she spat, hot tears of anger falling from her eyes.

The Master looked down again, still unable to keep his former apprentice’s gaze. “I…was a fool,” he admitted quietly. “And a fool I have remained.”

She stepped forward. “How could you not see what he was planning? If you had-”

“I did see,” the Master interrupted. Aqua stopped, surprised by the answer for a moment before the rage in her flared even hotter. “I confronted him, several years before. He and I fought.” Unconsciously, he raised a hand, tracing the scars on his face. “He bested me. And when I awoke, he was gone.” He looked down, shame still apparent. “I couldn’t chase after him though. Not while you and Terra were in my care. And when he returned with Ventus…I want to believe that he had changed. That it was time to bury the hatchet and move forward.”

“But he hadn’t,” she retorted.

“No.” Master Eraqus sighed. “Ever since that day, Xehanort had discovered how to prey on my need to protect the light. Maybe even long before that…He whispered fears to me about Terra. Made me obsessive. He knew I would do anything to protect the light even if I lost myself to darkness in the process. As when I threatened Ventus.”

“Ven?” Aqua asked, rage momentarily fading as confusion swelled. “But it was Terra who-”

“Struck me down. Because I was about to destroy Ventus.” Aqua could see tears lining the Master’s eyes, but he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve, looking up at her again. The action did nothing to quiet the anger that reclaimed her heart. Yet she was too stunned by the revelation to respond. “Aqua, I will not excuse my actions. But Xehanort had been my brother pupil. He was my last connection to my home. I never told you about it, and I see now that that was a mistake.”

“A mistake,” Aqua repeated dully. “No.” She raised her Keyblade now, pointing it at the Master. He watched it with his eyes but otherwise didn’t flinch. “You didn’t make mistakes. A mistake is a learning opportunity. What _you_ did was fail to protect us. Protect Ven. Protect me. Protect Maleficent.”

Part of her relished the shock that crossed the Master’s face. He looked away from her again, clearly not expecting to hear the name. “I see,” he whispered softly. He gathered himself, stepping towards Aqua. “Aqua-”

“Don’t,” she warned, eyes narrowing. “I don’t want to hear an excuse.”

“I will not offer one,” Eraqus replied. “I see now the full expanse of my failures.”

“Did you know?” Her voice was intense, yet barely came above a whisper. She could feel her hand trembling, yet her Keyblade held strong in her grip.

“I…” he looked down again. Aqua had never seen the Master so vulnerable, but now she found it pathetic. “I suspected.”

“ _Suspected?_ ” It was too much; the fury broke through. She flew at the Master, Keyblade raised – but she slammed it into the ground next to him, a frustrated scream ripping from her throat. She heard the Master catch his breath next to her; he had been convinced she would strike him. She stood there, inches away from the Master but not looking at him, Keyblade still stuck in the ground. “You _knew._ ”

“I knew,” the Master agreed softly, his voice shaking. “It…it was Xehanort who brought me the news. The moment I heard, I left to find her, against the wishes of those at our home. I searched for months, but she had disappeared. And when I returned home…” He took a hesitant breath, uncertain if he should continue.

“Did you know that it was Xehanort?” Aqua asked, her voice low.

“…Not at the time.” It occurred to Aqua that she had cut the Master off, and he had answered to avoid continuing his explanation. She didn’t care, though. No additional context would change what had happened. “I should have.”

“Yes. You should have.” Her voice was bitter. Aqua picked her Keyblade up, dismissing it as she walked away from the Master, eyes scanning the darkness. She had hoped a door would appear by now, but she had clearly not satisfied whatever force beckoned their appearance. “Are you in control of the doors?”

“No,” he replied. “Aqua-”

“Do you know what is?” she interrupted coldy, not in the mood to entertain his explanations.

“I do not.”

“Right. Why would you.” Aqua let out a quiet sigh, not turning around to see if her latest insult had affected him. Feebly, her conscience protested that laying all the blame at Master Eraqus’s feet was unfair. Not just unfair – it wasn’t the truth. She had told herself this on the beach. But…it didn’t change the fact that every time she had looked at Master Eraqus, the only thing she could see was Maleficent, broken and trapped in the darkness. _My trusted Master._ She laughed bitterly, loud enough that only she could hear it.

“I…I can’t trust you, anymore,” she muttered, still turned away from him. “Every time I think of your teachings I feel nothing but doubt. Every time I look at you, I just feel anger.”

“And perhaps you should,” he replied. Aqua hesitantly turned to face him, finding his eyes looking at her again.

“But…” She paused, unsure of what to say. “Do you know what’s happened to me?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know that right now, I’m being drowned by my darkness.”

“Yes. Your darkness made manifest.” Quietly, he walked to her.

Aqua kept her face placid, her response measured. “I…I’ve been lost in the dark so long. And I thought I beat it. But now…” She sighed. “I have more rage and doubt than I can control. More sorrow. I…I’m worried that it’s too much. That I’m going to lose myself to it.”

The Master considered her words silently. “Yes. I understand your concern. I’m sure you would remember what I taught.”  
“I do.” She had, hours earlier. “But I can’t rely on my friends when I’m the only person left. I can’t rely on your advice when I can’t trust you. It’s eating away at me.”

He nodded. “Yet you still stand before me,” he suggested. “I do feel darkness in you. Yet I also feel the same darkness in myself.” He hesitated, then closed his eyes. “It’s the same darkness I felt in Terra.”

“Terra…” Aqua closed her eyes. “Did he really succumb to darkness? When you fought him?”

“He had...learned to channel it, yes. However, he used it to protect the things that matter most to him. The people that mattered most. In the events that I described to you, who was the villain?” She didn’t need to answer. “Yet it was I who used the power of light.” He paused, walking to the edge of the platform. “You know, of course, where this-” he gestured around them “-is?”

“Yes. My heart.”

“Indeed. Therefore…” He walked now, silently striding to Aqua’s side as he found the words. “I find it odd that your darkness has not taken shape in this place.”

Aqua considered that, distracting herself from the dull rage she felt toward the Master. “Or perhaps she’s returned to me. She was disappearing. Perhaps we’ve been reunited.”

The Master nodded. “Perhaps so.” He turned, looking out across the platform. Aqua followed his gaze. On the other side of the platform, a door had appeared at long last. “Yet I believe, after all this time, that I have learned a valuable lesson.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. Despite her anger, Aqua looked to him again, once more his pupil. “The darkness is nothing more than the shadow cast by the light. Too long, we Keyblade Masters have lived in fear of that shadow. I among many others.

“I instilled in you, Terra, and Ven the need to conquer the darkness within you, always portraying it as the enemy of light. Yet through Terra, I have watched many who strive in the light fall to darkness, and many who wander in the dark find their way back to the light. I may be mistaken, but I find now that darkness and light are not enemies, but partners. Two forces that, when working in conjunction, define what it means to be human.” He paused. “The darkness that you feel, the rage that you feel…it is proof of your humanity. Of your love for those who have been wronged. Wronged by me, especially,” he added sadly. “Perhaps it is time we see the darkness for what it is. What it’s always been. Not as our sworn enemy, but as an ally in our true battle.”

“And you believe that?”

Aqua flinched, hearing her voice behind her. She and Master Eraqus turned, facing the phantom. It floated in the darkness, unable to reach the platform. Like the Master, it was translucent, more a phantom now than ever. It was studying them, curious to see what they would do, how they would respond. Aqua’s Keyblade reappeared in her hands; she didn’t trust the sight of the thing that had just tried to kill her.

“Do _you_ believe that?” the Master asked the phantom.

It continued to study them, head cocked to the side. “I believe…” she muttered. “…that as long as the light shines, it will continue to deny me. I refuse to fight alongside it.”

Aqua stepped forward, at the edge of the platform now. She raised her Keyblade. “You can’t have it like that. This isn’t all-or-nothing.”

“But it is.” The phantom floated nearer now. “You would have me be her ally,” she suggested, looking to Master Eraqus. “But I know what she wants me for.” Her eyes landed on Aqua, accusing her. “An ally? No. I would be her slave. She’d have me do her dirty work but keep the glory for herself. Keep the light for herself.” The phantom scoffed. “I refuse. I will not be a servant.”

“A powerful light casts a powerful shadow,” Master Eraqus stated, as if quoting some ancient source. “I see.” He turned to Aqua as the phantom continued watching, its arms crossed. “Aqua, do you sense what’s happened?”

Aqua nodded. Now, she understood what the phantom had become. She reached out, sensing it. A heart within the phantom, wrapped in swirling darkness, but a heart nonetheless. Somehow, Aqua’s phantom had become her own person, with her own heart. And now, she sneered back at Aqua, connected to her heart but simultaneously excluded from it.

The Master lowered her Keyblade. “We don’t have to be enemies,” she attempted.

“But we do.” She laughed. “I’m drawn to you. All I want in life is to destroy you. So long as you live, I can never truly exist.”

“You’re wrong,” Aqua interjected, Roxas, Xion, and Maleficent flashing before her eyes.

The phantom smirked at her again. “We’ll see.”

She disappeared.

Silence hung in the air around them. Quietly, Aqua turned again, her eyes back on the door. “This is the last stop,” she declared quietly.

“Yes.”

“And that door…” She walked slowly towards it, loosely gripping Stormfall in her hand.

“I believe that going through that door will awaken you,” Master Eraqus offered.

“In the Realm of Darkness.”

“In the Realm of Darkness,” he affirmed.

She looked down at Stormfall. Apprehension filled her at the thought of losing her Keyblade once more. “Will it stay with me?”

“I do not know. However…” He walked forward, standing with Aqua before the door. “You were always worthy of wielding the blade. I couldn’t have bequeathed one to you if you were not. But I had no role in its reappearance here.” He faced her again. “The heart is a powerful and curious force. You have a role to play, still.”

She nodded, eyes still on Stormfall. She raised it, watching as a beam of light sprung from the tip, unlocking the final door. She stepped forward, but stopped herself, unable to leave Master Eraqus behind like this. “I feel more anger toward you than I ever would have imagined. But you taught me everything I knew. Gave me a home. A family.” She paused, nostalgia overwhelming her. “One day, I hope to forgive you.”

“Your forgiveness is far more than I deserve.” She turned to face him, one final time. He bowed to her, beginning to fade away. “Aqua,” he whispered. “I am so proud of the woman you have become.”

She stayed, watching as the Master left. His form dispersed into small orbs of golden light, each orb falling into the stained-glass below them, returning to Terra’s heart. Aqua stayed, a tear falling down her face. She gripped Stormfall in her hands, the blade a comfort to her as she turned to face the door. She took a deep breath, readying herself for the dark waters that waited beyond it.

As she stepped through the door, Master Eraqus whispered to her one last time.

_May your heart be your guiding key._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another long chapter because I can't stop myself. Basically, it's just an excuse for more of that sweet sweet character interaction I've been craving since finishing KH3. 
> 
> One of the things I've been working on throughout this story is trying to balance Aqua's emotions/reactions to the world around her. My characterization of her has been that she's a very rational thinker, constantly on the search for understanding, but is willing to accept ridiculousness to a point. The Dive to the Heart business has always been very dreamy, so I wanted to showcase how Aqua would handle the realization that she's literally living through not just her heart, but also Sora's heart (hotel). Out of all the Kingdom Hearts characters, I think she more than anyone would take a second to wonder what the hell is going on.
> 
> Some things to clarify/explain since there's A LOT:  
> -Time is purposefully a bit weird in this chapter. I think the Dive to the Heart happens in its own pocket dimension. When Ven appears in this chapter, first, it's as a memory of the opening to Chapter 5; then, it's after the ending of the Interlude. But, in the Realm of Darkness, very little if any time has passed.  
> -When Aqua originally awakens in this chapter, her memories/emotions are silent at first, but she does begin recalling them very quickly.  
> -The voice guiding Aqua is Master Eraqus all the way throughout the chapter.  
> -Roxas gets characterized a lot as an angry boi (TM), so I'm sorry for hopping on that train, but Aqua is just as angry as he is. Roxas has never met Aqua, so has no reason to trust her. Aqua, meanwhile, is pissed off that someone is apparently using Ven's face. She's also grown a bit more reckless and prone to fight thanks to the phantom's influence on her.  
> -Xion's heart is also Twilight Town, and it's the same one as Roxas's. There are times where he sees her, and there are times when they both imagine Axel is there, but these are rare and Roxas always forgets them. Most of the time, Roxas is alone, unaware that Xion is with him. Roxas will not, however, be forgetting his fight with Aqua :)  
> -The Phantom became her own person when Aqua's heart threw her out after saving Elsa, but neither of them realized this until this sequence.
> 
> Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 are chapters I've been waiting to write since planning out this story. I'm still fussing with which is which, but one especially was a lot of fun to write, as it's almost entirely from the phantom's perspective. Without spoiling much, there's a reason Mickey and Riku deciding to go to the Realm of Darkness got its own chapter. As always, please leave any feedback below in the comments, and thanks for reading!


	8. Return/Reunite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua finds herself in a familiar place with a familiar face.

A warm wind blew, kicking dirt around the wasteland. The sun shone high in the sky, its rays blazing down upon the scorched landscape. The air was stiff, the heat unbearable. Clouds of red dust swirled around the empty desert, the only motion as far as the eye could see. Every now and then, it seemed as though the wind whispered a message, but the words were lost on ears that weren’t there to hear it. No animals roamed the land, no vegetation grew, no streams trickled. Not even Heartless manifested. Without any hearts to reap, the creatures had no purpose in this land.

For centuries, time had consigned this world to twilight. It teetered on the edge of day and night even as the sun’s rays beat relentlessly into the reddened earth. Time had not merely slowed to a crawl here but had stopped entirely. Once, this place had been more than a wasteland. Now, the world was frozen in time, as graveyards tend to be. Its ancient past was buried beneath the surface, hidden away by centuries of dust, dirt, and grime that had gathered on the land. And with this past were buried the bodies of countless children, pawns in a war they barely understood.

The world itself was mountainous, its terrain rocky and treacherous. Every now and then, plateaus and peaks would settle into a valley, but even here, the land was jagged. The sole sign of civilization sat in the largest valley. It was undisturbed, untouched. The monuments – or, more properly, graves – gathered rust, destined to crumble without a caretaker or attendant. Visitors to this world – though they were few – could gaze upon this exhibit, assuaging their curiosity or wondering what had happened to leave such mysterious objects jutting from the ground in the first place.

If one sat at the center of the display, they would again wonder if the wind was whispering to them. The ghostly messages might well have tantalized seekers of knowledge, historians who wished to understand the meaning of this dismal place. Messages seemed to hint at a dark history, a great loss, a terrible sadness. It would be enough to drive anyone mad, if they stayed long enough. But nobody ever had.

Except…

Yet what was he, if not one of the whisperers? He often heard their voices, but they never seemed to notice him. Was he a ghost? No. He had thought about this plenty, and to be a ghost, one had to be dead. And he was not dead. Well, who he used to be was not dead. What was he then? A spirit. A reminder. What remains. But, he wasn’t a ghost. Unlike the unfortunate souls who had lost their lives on this battlefield, he still maintained a form.

He had lingered in this realm for twelve years, and the whispers carried to him by the wind should have driven him insane. Yet his mind proved immune to the horrors these souls had experienced. His entire reason for existing was the will of his mind, the one thought that brought him purpose – to set this right. Every tale the wind spun would have crushed any person with half a heart, but his heart had long been separated from his mind. He had no emotions, only purpose. No matter how many times a departed child cried out, it would not affect his mission.

Only twice had the breeze carried a persuasion, a reason to act. The first time, it had been her angelic voice, stirring the broken memories inside him. She had said she was a witch, yet her words had been soothing, far from wicked. Something akin to an emotion had bubbled within him, but it had merely been the shadow of a memory. Her voice found its way to his heart through the memory, managing to momentarily break the demon’s hold on it. He could feel the heart reaching out to his lost friends, the ones he had vowed to avenge.

The second time, it had been the boy. Another broken memory woke at the sight. They had met before, when he had bequeathed the weapon. It hadn’t been to this boy. Yet he stood before him nonetheless, blade brandished, ready to defend himself. His memory had been confused by this. The boy reminded him of another he knew. He was certain that he was an enemy. Yet as they clashed, he began to know him. Whether it had been bequeathed or not, he was deserving of the weapon. Their battle was long. Tiring. The boy fought admirably. He managed to hold him back. Managed to outlast him. Managed to defeat him.

He had expected that the defeat would cause him to fade away. If he could lose to such a skilled opponent, then he could no longer faithfully fulfill his purpose. A successor had been found, one who would do what needed to be done. Yet as the boy took his leave of this desert, he had remained. Clearly, this world still had a use for him. His friends still needed him.

The wind continued to coat his armor with dust and dirt. It wormed its way into the crevices, falling through into the empty suit. He still knelt in the exact same place, his cape ruffled by the wind but otherwise undisturbed. Hands continued to clench the massive Keyblade, his head bowed to the ground. He was waiting, as always. Waiting for his chance to set this right.

Hours passed. Noon gave into evening, evening to night, night to early morning. Even in such a decrepit place, the rosy pink overtones of dawn still parted the clouds. The sun rose on the horizon, its hot rays already promising to further bake the still heated ground for the next twelve hours. It reflected off his armor despite the layers of dirt covering it. The wind continued to disturb the land, yet it no longer carried just the dust and dirt from the ground. And now, it tickled the hairs of a young woman as she slept at the center of the graveyard. The ghosts chattered amongst one another at the sight of the lost master. Wonder and bewilderment passed between the spirits, kicked around by the wind just like the desert grime. She slept, blissfully unaware of the dead’s conversations.

The breeze brought more dirt to him. This time, however, the wind promised gossip, too. The spirits’ whispers filtered into his empty suit, absorbed into his awareness. They described the sight. A door, appearing out of nowhere. Light spilling from it. The blue-haired woman bursting forth. They excitedly told him about this woman, about her Keyblade, about the strength of her heart. As they described her, he sensed the aching of his old heart, separated from him by the vast reaches of space. It began to whisper to him, filling in the details about the woman. She was familiar to him. He knew her. Had fought alongside her. Had loved her like family.

_…Could this be?_

Armor creaked, the warped sound of metal grinding against itself echoing in the emptiness. Slowly, he stood. His right hand grasped the Keyblade, pulling it out of the ground and bringing it to his side. For a moment, the wind gusted around him, suddenly intense. His cape flapped in the air, the dust that coated his arm suddenly dispelled. He raised the Keyblade, watching as it left his grip and transformed into a vehicle. He had used this instrument to traverse the worlds once, yet those voyages paled in comparison to the importance of the few miles he would now travel. He leaped onto the vehicle, body moving naturally, as if he had only been kneeling for a few moments instead of most of his existence.

He had never dared return to this walkway, having instead found himself consigned to the margins of the landscape rather than its central attraction. Memories flooded him as the glider crusaded down the path, walls of ancient Keyblades on his sides. The memories were unpleasant. The last few moments of peace before the great battle. Ven asking him to kill him. A torrent of Keyblades – the exact same ones now marking the graves of children – assaulting him. Had _he_ chosen to hide away from this place, influenced by the phantom of these memories?

It didn’t matter now. He could see her body lying feet away from the center of the field. Her Keyblade had disappeared, likely returning to her heart. For a moment, he felt a far-off concern. _Is she dead?_ Perhaps the concern was his, too. Was it also the effects of a memory? He pulled the glider up alongside her body, disembarking. The vehicle returned to its original form, and he pulled it back into his grasp as he stood over her body. She lied on her stomach, her face buried into the ground, obscuring it from him. But at the sight of her blue hair – at the sight of the broken gauntlets on her arms – he knew for certain that it was no longer the effects of a memory.

He fell to his knees, emotions suddenly flooding his awareness. _His_ emotions. The sight of the lost master suddenly amplified the experience of his old heart, locked away across the vast reaches of space. Sorrow and regret overwhelmed him. The armor creaked and shuddered as if heaving with sobs, for without a body, he couldn’t actually cry. On the edge of his awareness, he could feel a dark force probing, but the chains that had so long held him now acted as a shield against that evil being. And it gave him all the time he needed. Time enough, for one brief moment, to see what his Lingering Will saw. Aqua, collapsed on the ground, in the middle of the Keyblade Graveyard. Not in the Realm of Darkness, but in the Realm of Light.

_She found her way back to me._

…

This sensation was far too familiar. Aqua was suspended in mid-air, suddenly weightless. Her vision blurred at the edges. Even the sights she could make out seemed to filter in and out of existence, her mind unable to fully comprehend what her eyes grasped. _I thought I left my heart? I opened the door…_ She tried to glance around, but she couldn’t. Something had hold on her body, was moving it for her, directing her gaze beneath her. Below, the dark waters churned, an unseen battle playing out beneath its surface.

That, too, was familiar. In the back of her mind, a small, rational voice nagged at her awareness. Lazily, Aqua floated down, sliding underneath the waves, the water undisturbed by her entrance. Her gaze flickered again as a scene started underwater. A woman struggled across from her, a hand wrapped around her ankle. _She’s drowning._ As she watched, darkness clouded around the hand as the woman flailed. _It’s not connected to anything?_ The arm was gone. Just a few feet beneath the hand was a face, but that, too, was mysteriously surrounded by darkness. All that remained were its eyes and half of its grin.

 _That’s me,_ she realized dully. _That’s two of me._

The drowning Aqua’s hands reached for something at her chest. Concern flashed over her face as she finally succumbed, water flooding her lungs. The life drained from her face as she drowned, eyes closing. The phantom’s eyes went wild with wretched joy. For a few moments, the scene stilled. Aqua furrowed her brow as she watched, confused by the sight.

_That’s…not what I remember happening._

She was right. The dream Aqua’s eyes burst open suddenly, determination on her face. She raised her hand, no longer restrained by the viscous water. Light flashed dimly in the darkness, and in her hand, Stormfall appeared. A midnight aura gathered around the blade, lightning cackling at its tip. In one fell swoop, it severed the phantom’s hold on her. Shock crossed what remained of the phantom’s features; the darkness had almost consumed her entirely. Words passed between them, carried to one another by their psychic connection.

_I win._

_You bitch!_

Something primal inside of Aqua relished watching this exchange. The demon faded back into the water, her essence finally succumbing to the shadows that surrounded her. Triumph won her mind, but in the back of her head, Aqua remembered her final conversation with the phantom. _We’ll see. Yes, we will see,_ she thought to herself smugly. She hadn’t seen the last of the phantom, but it had yet to beat her. And the next time they clashed, it would be on Aqua’s home turf.

The dream Aqua spun in the water, now pointing the blade at the surface. Ven’s voice echoed through the realm now, whispering Aqua’s name through the darkness. Aqua reached for it with her heart, both hands now gripping Stormfall as she sunk deeper into the depths of the sea. The Keyblade guided her hands, aiding her as she located her connection back. A light appeared at its tip; Ven continued whispering in her ears. A beam shot out from the blade, expelling the water from around Aqua, only for a powerful wind to gust around her, taking the sea’s place. Above her, the beam connected with an unseen obstacle. The tip broke into a dozen lines of light, tracing a design into the darkness.

_A door._

White marble, stained-glass, and more beautiful than anything Aqua had ever seen. Her heart quickened as she gripped the Keyblade tighter, power flowing through her. She twisted the blade, hearing something unlock. Light suddenly poured out of the door, bright and powerful, expanding to fill the entire Realm of Darkness. Ven’s voice continued to echo through it, a thousand repetitions of her name whispering around her. As if wrapped around her blade, the light pulled her forward. She soared out of the water, into the air, and through the door.

 _I’m dreaming,_ Aqua realized.

She woke, her heart hammering as her mind replayed the sight. For several moments, she couldn’t move, her body still held in the clutches of sleep. _I fell asleep?!_ On instinct, she panicked, remembering what had happened the last time she had succumbed to dreams in the Realm of Darkness. She calmed, however, upon realizing she wasn’t tossing around on the ground, tortured with unseen pain. Somehow, the Heartless had left her to sleep yet again.

 _I still can’t move._ Her entire being felt warm and heavy, seemingly undisturbed by the anxious thoughts coursing through her mind. She _needed_ to move – if she stayed like this, she would die. Yet her body protested, too indulgent of the rest. _How long was I asleep?_ It must have been a long time for her body to be this sluggish. But that didn’t make sense. If she had really, truly slept for such a long time, how was she still alive?

Gradually, Aqua reclaimed control of her limbs. Her vision settled. She was lying face down on the ground, nose pressed into the earth. She maneuvered her hands slowly out and in front of her, pushing her weight onto them as she brought herself off the dirt. Weakly, she coughed. Dust coated the inside of her throat. Dust coated more than that, actually. She could feel the grime all over, as if a massive sandstorm had emptied an entire desert onto her. Aqua raised herself to her knees, brushing dust off her shoulders for a moment, enjoying the sudden feeling of heat on her skin.

_Heat on my skin._

_The sun._

_THE SUN?_

Aqua’s eyes widened as her hand fell to her side. She looked up at the sight in the sky. The brightness burned her eyes, yet somehow she held them open, the urge to wince mysteriously absent. _This isn’t like Roxas’s heart._ Her mouth fell open. Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes, brought on not by the sun, but by Aqua’s heart, crying out as the light embraced her. _This is real._  
And it was.

“I’m in the Realm of Light.”

Tears dropped from her eye, sliding down her face and dripping onto the ground below. Aqua’s vision finally went white, her eyes unable to sustain staring into the sun – the glorious, beautiful _sun_ ¬– for a second longer. She averted her gaze, still blinded by the light. “I’m here,” she choked out softly. “I…I did it.”

Her head dipped, tears dripping onto the ground as she breathed in the air giddily. The sensation of the sun shining on her skin was a powerful high, addictive. _I fought so hard for so long,_ she cried out in her mind. She had fought so many terrible battles in that hell, confronted nightmares beyond what her mind could imagine. Death had waited for her at every tun. The realm had destroyed her mind, filled her with paranoia, tore away at her heart. She had nearly succumbed to it. And yet, it was she who was victorious. The misguided master who had sacrificed herself for a friend had triumphed over evil.

Stunned, tearful happiness quickly gave way to euphoric victory. Aqua’s hands balled into fists as her vision returned. Still unaware that she was not alone, she leaped up, fist pumping the air and a loud, victorious shout leaving her lips. In the same fist, Stormfall appeared. Aqua spun it, grinning wildly as she tested the full strength of her magic. The feeling was glorious, even better than it had been in her heart. Every spell cackled with energy, her magic coming to life around her. Celebratory bursts of fire and ice came forth and lightning surged overhead. Aqua roared with joy, unable to hold back her triumph.

Twelve years battling the darkness carried one piece of good news: Now that she had returned to the Realm of Light, Aqua was stronger than she had ever been. Exhaustion had been banished from her body, replaced by vibrant power. The sun’s light kindled this power, combatting the curse of the darkness like an antibiotic. She almost dared the Heartless to attack her now; their power was nothing compared to hers.

Calming, Aqua let the last of the magic fizzle out. Her legs trembled; she slowly lowered herself back to the ground. “I overdid it,” she chuckled to herself, having pushed her magic to her new limits. She could already feel the mana gathering back within her, though. She held onto the wild joy for just a few more seconds, eyes still on the ground. Then –

_Ven._

_Terra._

_Maleficent._

_Sora._

_Xehanort._

__  
Five people. Three to save, one to help, one to kill. She could celebrate once that was done.

Aqua looked up, taking in her surroundings.

_No._

All around her, broken and rusted Keyblades jutted out of the desert sand. In her frenzy, blinded by the glory of the sun, Aqua hadn’t registered them. Now, their sight ripped the sudden joy from her heart. For though Aqua had returned to the Realm of Light, her heart had guided her to the last place she ever wanted to see.

As if insulting her, the wind suddenly howled again, kicking sand at her face. She raised a hand to cover her eyes while the other strengthened its grip on Stormfall. The sun’s heat, celebrated just a few moments ago, now burned her, seemingly breaking the skin to scorch her soul. Behind her eyes, Aqua saw her last few memories of this wretched graveyard play out. Ven asking her to kill him. A torrent of Keyblades crushing Terra’s body. Xehanort throwing Ven’s frozen body off a cliff. That one-eyed wise ass taunting her. And, worst of all, her battle with Ven.

“Not Ven,” she growled. “Vanitas.” _He’s back. I’ll kill him, too._

Silencing her conscience at the declaration, Aqua gathered the strength to open her eyes. The land looked just as desolate and abandoned as it had the last time she was here. She stood, wiping the dust off her clothing. As she did so, Aqua paused. In the light, she could now see just how destroyed her clothing was. Her stockings and corset were littered with holes and rips, sleeves torn to shreds. The pink straps that held her Mark of Mastery in place were frayed to the seam; she doubted they would hold much longer. The glass center of the armor on her right arm was smashed in. Something had ripped off half of the blue cloth she draped around her waist, while the white cloth, more than any other article of clothing, was stained red with blood.

The damage to her clothing, however, was nothing in comparison to the litany of scars lining her arms and legs. Aqua shuddered at the sight, images of dark claws and teeth finding her skin in the shadows. _They look brand new._ The largest scar was a long jagged red line that ran down her right thigh, originating underneath her corset and extending into her tights. Hesitantly, she lowered the corner of her tunic, wincing at the large black bruise covering her side. _Who knows how long that’s been there,_ she thought. She’d had her fair share of injuries from her training and adventures, of course, but nothing in comparison to these new marks. Cure magic had stopped the bleeding, paused the pain, but her body had yet to heal the skin.

 _It’s like time didn’t pass at all._ How many years had it been since she had seen Mickey in the darkness, since she had sat on the beach with the man? Since she had seen Maleficent? For all she knew, it hadn’t even been a full day spent in the Realm of Darkness. Every second could be a century. Perhaps…perhaps her friends had all died in the hours it had taken for her to find the door.

On impulse, she reached for the Wayfinder to comfort her, hoping to catch a glimpse of her face in the glass. But…The realization cut her, a scar on her heart this time. “I lost it,” she muttered, shuttering her eyes to hold back tears. _It’s just a trinket_ , she told herself. _It’s stupid. Don’t cry over it._ That did nothing to assuage her. The Wayfinder had never just been a piece of jewelry, and in the Realm of Darkness, it had been her one physical connection to her home, to her friends. Losing it, now, felt worse than losing her friends. In this moment, if Aqua could choose, she would take the Wayfinder over the Realm of Light.

_I lost it._

Aqua took five seconds to feel the hurt.

Something creaked behind her. She spun to her feet, paranoia roaring to life. Light already surrounded Stormfall, her magic waiting. She glared at the source of the sound, but the moment she understood the sight, she fell back to her knees, her mouth agape again.

Terra, wearing his battle-scarred and rusted Keyblade armor, knelt before her, his head bowed to the ground, hands grasping the hilt of what looked like Earthshaker, except even more massive. Was it even the same weapon? He looked exactly the way she remembered, except now, a golden cape draped over his shoulders.

“Terra?” Aqua whispered. She reached a hand out, her breath shuddering as the tears she had held back over the Wayfinder flowed down her face. _That’s why I’m here,_ she realized. _My heart brought me back to him._ “Is…is that you?”

He kept his head lowered. He didn’t move or respond. The armor creaked again.

“Terra, please.” She crawled forward, closing the distance between them. “I know you’re in there. Please say something.”

Yet the only sound was the metallic ring of the wind against his armor.

“Terra,” Aqua cried, placing her hand on his. “Please. Please say something, Terra.” This time, however, she didn’t give him the chance. “I’ve missed you so much. You and Ven. You two are the only reason I’m still alive.” Sobbing interrupted her speech, yet she persisted. “You found me down there, when I thought I was gone forever. I-I-I never thought I-I’d get back t-t-to you. Please, please Terra, please say something, anything. Please!”

Aqua waited for him to respond to her pleas, but nothing came. Tears blurred her vision, and she furiously wiped them away. Sounds were still coming from the armor, weird, metallic sounds that she couldn’t understand, like a key being scraped against a gong. Yet Terra remained silent. “Terra,” she begged again, quieter. “Why won’t you say anything to me?”

_Did you forget what Terra did to you? He killed your teacher._

Aqua’s eyes widened as she remembered the phantom’s taunts. _Does he…?_ “Terra,” she whispered, pressing her head against the hilt of the blade. “I know you’re there. Please. I forgive you.” Of this she was certain. Whatever doubts she had about this had vanished the second she saw him here. The phantom could taunt her all she wanted, but Aqua knew this in her heart. Terra was a victim of Xehanort, just like her. Truthfully, she needed the same grace from him. “What happened to us…to the Master…it wasn’t your fault.”

With her eyes lowered to the ground, Aqua couldn’t see that Terra had begun trembling. The armor shook, more strange metallic sounds echoing around them. _I just want to hear you,_ she begged in her mind, still mistaking the sounds for noise. _Why won’t you say something to me?_ She lifted her eyes, trying to find Terra’s behind the vizor. She moved her hands from his, finding no resistance when she pushed his Keyblade to the side. She placed a hand on his shoulder, the other cupping the metal covering his face. The suit was warm to the touch, the result of more than a decade spent baking in the desert sun.

“Please…” she begged, voice soft. “Terra…I just want to hear your voice.”

Underneath her fingers, the armor shifted. She realized he was trembling now. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, _anything,_ but even as he stirred, still no sound came. Nothing except for the suspended cymbal sound that fell on her ears. _What else can I do?_ she wondered, face and heart falling. _He isn’t saying anything…like he’s not even here._ Her hope shattered. Terra wasn’t here, was he? Of course her return to the Realm of Light would play out like this. The Keyblade Graveyard had already demolished her joy. Now, fate was dangling a reunion with her closest friend in front of her like a treat on a stick. Like a fool, she had fallen for the trick, only to have it cruelly ripped away.

“…This is a sick joke,” she muttered, dropping her hands. Aqua wiped her eyes, dirt smearing her face due to touching the armor. She pulled away, turning her face away from Terra’s.

Just as she made to stand, Terra’s hand reached out for her, brushing against her skirt. Aqua paused, her breath catching. Another metallic ring flowed through the air as Terra raised his head, vizor meeting her eyes.

_Aqua._

“T-Terra?” She grasped his hand, a gasp leaving her lips. In a second, her mind ran the calculation. He said her name, but it wasn’t his voice. The only sound she heard… _Oh._ Terra _was_ trying to talk to her, but he couldn’t speak. Somehow, the metallic sounds carried his words instead. Now, for whatever reason, she could understand them.

Swiftly, she pulled the armor into an embrace, pressing her face against the uncomfortable metal. Terra’s body trembled again. As if his arms resisted the motion, he raised them slowly, shaking, and returned the embrace.

_Aqua…I…I’m sorry._

“I forgive you,” she repeated. “It wasn’t your fault.”

_It…was._

“We all made mistakes,” Aqua whispered. “It wasn’t us. It was Xehanort. You have to know that, Terra.”

 _How…here?...Realm of Darkness?_  
He had redirected. She dropped it. “I…I found a door. With Ven’s help.” _Ven._ He was waiting for her still. She needed to get to him. _Just a few more minutes, I promise._ “How…how are you here?”

_This…isn’t me._

She stiffened. “What do you mean?”

_I…can’t say…too much…better if I…if I..._

For a moment, both were silent. Then, images flashed before Aqua’s eyes. Horrifying, inspiring images, ones whose explanations would confound both her and the experts of the heart for years to come. The sights lasted only a moment, yet the moment carried with it twelve years of memories. Terra, battling Xehanort, only for the old man to worm his way into Terra’s heart and body. Terra’s suit of armor, regathering through sheer willpower alone to the shock of his opponent, that monster she had fought in Radiant Garden. Kingdom Hearts, fading from view above as he began his lonely watch. A sweet voice that Aqua didn’t recognize, telling the Lingering Will about her in the Realm of Darkness. And, finally, the ring of Sora’s Keyblade against the Lingering Will’s.

The rush of memories was too much for Aqua to comprehend all at once. Feeling faint, her body drooped against the Lingering Will, but he held her up. They remained like that for some time as Aqua’s mind slowly processed the information. _I…don’t understand,_ she thought over and over again.

As if he could hear her thoughts, another metallic whisper stroked her ears. _Are… okay?_

“I…” Aqua pulled herself up so that she was looking into the vizor. “I don’t think so.” She paused, brow furrowing as her brain continued failing to understand. “D-don’t take this the wrong way,” she cautioned. “But…how can you be Terra?” She was worried, fearful. Her memory of their last conversation was still fresh in her mind. However long ago it had been for him, it was still fresh for her.

He was silent, thinking it through. His arms still held her, impossibly gentle despite the strength Aqua could sense. In the back of her head, she realized he could crush her if he wanted to. The thought was a relief; if this was another ploy concocted by Xehanort, she would have been killed already. _I don’t have anything to fear from him._ He still didn’t say anything, so Aqua spoke again.

“What I mean is,” she attempted, “if…You lost your body to Xehanort, right?” He nodded slowly. “But…” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I…I just don’t understand how you can be here.”

_I…don’t understand…either. You…always smarter than…_

Her cheeks reddened. “I’m not,” she muttered, averting her eyes. “You…do you still have your heart?” she asked. Before he could answer, she added, “I…I was in my heart for a while, before I came here.” She briefly registered how ridiculous the sentence was. “And I saw Ven there. And the Master.” He shuddered at both names. “The Master said our hearts were still connected. But…when I came to your heart, I didn’t see you. I saw him.”

_I…Xehanort is…tied…my heart is…with him._

“Still?” she whispered. She had suspected as much, had tried to keep the hope from bubbling. “Is that why you can’t speak?”

_I…guess…_

The sound was different this time. It was shorter, more punctuated. Aqua smiled, realizing he had managed to laugh. It was oddly appropriate; nothing about this situation made sense anyway.

 _Like I…are always smarter than me._  
She placed a hand on his face again, her smile fading as she came to a realization. “So…all this time you’ve been here?”

 _…I…think…You had it…worse._  
“At least I still had my body,” she argued, smirking sadly. As odd as this arrangement was, getting into a bickering match with Terra almost made her forget all the terrible things that had happened. “And you were in the Realm of Light.”

_Heart…trapped…_

“You got to fight Sora.”

Another punctuated sound. _He’s…strong. Like –_

“Like Ven,” she agreed. Aqua dropped her eyes again, her features darkening. “Do…do you know?”

He was silent. _Did…did he die?_

“No,” she affirmed. “But…something happened to him. His heart’s asleep, like yours.” She paused. “It’s with Sora, I think.”

He was silent, clearly processing the information. _Explains…why Sora won…_

She laughed. “You’re just upset he beat you,” she teased.

_I’m not…I….glad he’s…_

“Me, too.”  
_Are…save Ven?_

“Yes.” She looked at Terra again. “And you, too.”

_…how?_

“That…” That was the question to which Aqua didn’t know the answer. She chose her words carefully, just in case. Even if this was Terra – which she was certain it was – there was still a chance that _he_ was listening in to their conversation.. “With Sora, I can save Ven. I hid him, and I’m the only one who knows where his body is. But I lost the key.” She hesitated. “To save you…”

_Need to defeat Xehanort._

He said this with such clear purpose that it surprised her. _Of course,_ she realized. “That’s why you’re still here, isn’t it?”

 _Yes._  
She nodded. “I…I’m going to kill him,” she confessed. “For everything he did. Not just to us, but to everyone.” She waited, worried that Terra might disapprove. “I…”

He pulsed his hold on her, an odd motion that comforted her. _Good. You…have to end it._

Relieved, she nodded, face determined. “I fought him, before,” she said, unsure if Terra remembered or knew at all. “I don’t think it’s as simple as defeating him in battle.” She fell quiet, thinking over the conundrum.

_My heart…still with…_

She smirked. “You’re smarter than you think,” she mumbled. She had an idea. “If I can remove his heart-”

_Can…separate…_

“And your body-” She caught herself, another issue presenting itself to her. “Come with me,” Aqua said suddenly, momentarily forgetting she had no idea how to leave this world safely. “We’ll defeat him, together. And we can put your heart back here, where it belongs.”

_…Can’t leave._

“What do you mean?”

_Not…a body…just…mind._

Aqua hesitated. “I still don’t understand,” she mumbled.

_Stuck here. Have to…set this right._

“I’m here now, though,” Aqua replied. “We can set it right. Together. Come with me, Terra.”

_I’m…sorry._

Aqua’s face fell. She knew Terra was right. If he could leave, he would have. Why else spend twelve years roaming this desert? She sighed, nodding her acceptance. “Maybe Master Yen Sid will know something,” she suggested feebly.

_Where…_

_The Land of Departure._ That’s what she wanted to say. It was much easier to think that when she was trapped in the Realm of Darkness, but now that she had returned…Aqua had startlingly realized that, despite the reappearance of Stormfall, she had no way out of the badlands. She could open a gate, but without her armor, she couldn’t safely traverse the Lanes Between, if they were still even open. _They are, though. Master Eraqus never got a chance to close them._ Her heart ached, and she closed her eyes. _Maybe I’m closer to forgiving him than I thought._

Yet still, Aqua had no way off this world. Returning to the Land of Departure safely was impossible without the armor. _And even if I did, I can’t unlock it and save Ven._ Every other option presented the same obstacle. Saving Terra, finding Maleficent, joining up with Sora – they all relied on her finding a way off this world. _I’m still trapped,_ she realized. She was no better off than she had been in the Realm of Darkness.

“I…don’t know,” she finally admitted. “I want to go home. I know that in my heart. But I don’t have a way off this world.” She gestured to the broken gauntlets on her arm. “When I fought…well, you, I guess, I used my armor to save your body…I thought it was still you,” she added, ashamed of her choice now that she knew what it had caused.

_It was._

It should have comforted her, but it did little to help. _I would have been able to find you if I stayed,_ she thought bitterly, not wanting to admit it out loud. _If Mickey got into the Realm of Darkness, I could have, too._ “I can’t leave this world,” Aqua said. “Not without armor. It wouldn’t be safe.”

Silence passed between them as the wind kicked dirt into the air once more. The sun had started moving to the west, high noon giving way to afternoon. The ghosts had been silent during the conversation, taking in the reunion of the two lost masters with tense anticipation. They waited now, wondering what would happen.

_I…think…_

Aqua held her breath, waiting for Terra to finish the answer.

_I can help._

He broke their embrace, but quickly held Aqua’s hands in his. He looked at her again, and Aqua immediately understood his plan. “Terra! You can’t!” she protested. “It’s insane – it’s not going to work!”

_Of course it will. You were always better than me._

Light began to pour out of the gaps in the armor. It trembled, then shuddered, then began to shake completely. It cracked suddenly, then burst apart as the light flashed. Aqua backed away, falling on her arms as the suit separated into several broken pieces. The armor hung in the air, floating as the light faded. Then, it trembled again, Terra’s will commanding it. The armor flew at Aqua, surrounded her, covered her body. Aqua gasped as the suit suddenly took shape around her, adjusting for her shorter height and slimmer figure as if imbued by magic. She heard clicks as the pieces connected, screws and bolts finding their place. The helmet covered her head, vizor closing over her eyes.

Terra’s armor covered her now. In her head, she heard his voice, unbroken and clear for the first time.

 _You can set this right,_ he told her.

_Terra!_

_I’ll be okay,_ he said comfortingly. _This is just a fragment of my will. I’m still with him. But now you can find me. You can find Ven. I don’t need to wait here any longer._

_I can’t leave you here!_

_You aren’t. I’m coming with you, just like you asked. And one day, we’ll meet again._ He paused. _I have to go, Aqua. I can feel my hold fading. Any longer and he’ll sense you._

Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes. _Terra, please –_

_Take my Keyblade. It’s powerful. Has a few tricks up its sleeves._

_Terra, please don’t leave me!_

_I believe in you, Aqua._

The armor shuddered as Terra’s will faded, leaving Aqua alone, lying on the ground in the rusted suit. Her breath shook. For a few minutes, she stayed on the ground, calming herself. Aqua couldn’t leave yet. She wanted Terra to come back to her, just wanted to hear his voice one last time. All her heart desired was one uninterrupted conversation with Terra and Ven, yet still it was denied to her.

_For now._

The pain could wait. She had faced worse. Now, her path forward was clear. Terra had given her a way off this world. Slowly, she stood, expecting the armor to restrict her movement. To her surprise, it felt just like her old armor. She came to her feet, moving around hesitantly to get a feel for the suit. The entire sensation was…well, it was weird. The armor moved fine, but she felt awkward, only able to imagine herself in an oversized suit even though she knew that wasn’t the case. As a test, she pressed the button on her arm; the armor disappeared in an instant, fading into the gauntlet. Now, however, the button shone a rusty ruby instead of gold.

Aqua took one last look around her. A chill crossed her spine. For whatever reason, she knew this wouldn’t be the last time she stepped foot in the Keyblade Graveyard. But for now, she was free of it. She could save Terra and Ven. Terra’s Keyblade lay on the ground still, catching Aqua’s eye. She stooped to pick it up, grasping the hilt of the blade in her hand. _Ends of the Earth,_ it whispered to her. She had been right; this wasn’t Earthshaker. The Keyblade was massive, way longer and heavier than Stormfall, yet it, too, somehow adjusted to her grasp. The blade hummed in her hands, welcoming its new wielder.

 _It’s a powerful weapon._ Terra’s parting words echoed feebly at the edges of her awareness. _Has a few tricks up its sleeves._

“I think I’ll stick to Stormfall,” Aqua chuckled softly. This Keyblade wasn’t her style – it was built for physical strength, not the magic and dexterity in which she specialized. She made to dismiss the blade and call upon Stormfall again, but to her surprise, Ends of the Earth remained in her grip. Instead, Stormfall burst into being in her other hand. Aqua’s eyes widened at the sight, suddenly balancing two blades with unexpected ease.

Roxas flashed briefly before Aqua’s eyes. “Two?” she questioned incredulously. “But – this – _how?_ ”

In unison, both Keyblades pulsed in her hands. It was as if the two were speaking in agreement. She didn’t need words to understand their message: _Don’t question it. Go save your friends._ She shook her head in disbelief, still not ready to accept it. They pulsed again, clearly impatient. “Okay, okay!” She let out a quick breath, trying to calm the blades. “I only need one of you right now,” she reasoned. This, apparently, was acceptable: Ends of the Earth disappeared, leaving Stormfall in her grasp.

She spun it, putting off the inevitable. Part of her still held out hope that Terra might return, even though she knew it was unlikely.

“Ready?” she asked quietly, more for herself than anything else. Stormfall hummed in her hands. Aqua nodded, closing her eyes and taking a breath. She pointed the blade toward the sky, opening a portal in the afternoon glow. As it rippled above her, she threw the Keyblade into the air and, in the same graceful motion, activated the armor. Terra’s red suit formed around her, cape included, as Stormfall landed, now in its glider form. Aqua hopped on, feeling the familiar sensation of the glider humming below her.

She knew her destination. Even if she had lost the key, she needed to be there, make sure it was still safe. After that, it didn’t matter. Maybe visit Master Yen Sid, maybe Disneytown to see if she could contact the King, maybe Radiant Garden. But for now…She had seen one friend; now, it was time to see the other. “I’m on my way, Ven.”

_I will set this right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter planned since the night I finished the first chapter. Probably because of that, it was one of the hardest to write. Aqua's return to the Realm of Light in KH3 was the most emotional part of the game for me, so trying to do that differently while still getting the same emotional effect was hard. Dialogue in general also gives me a lot of struggles, so trying to find the right balance with Aqua and Terra's first conversation was hard, too. 
> 
> Not really much to add about this chapter. The next chapter is ready to be published - I originally had planned it as this chapter but the story flows better with this one first. I try to keep ahead by one chapter so that I have some wiggle room and can edit with the future story in mind. 
> 
> Comments are always appreciated! See you next time.


	9. The Phantom Menace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey and Riku arrive in the Realm of Darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the title, I couldn't resist.

_It’s so dark._

She couldn’t see anything.

_But I remember the light._

It had burst all around her.

_But why?_

She didn’t know what had happened.

_I can’t feel anything._

Had she ever felt anything?

_Where am I?_

She had never been anywhere other than the darkness.

_Do I exist?_

She had to exist. She was thinking.

_What happened to my body?_

Did she even have one? She was certain she had. She remembered…skating. Skating on the ice. She had moved once. But now…all that surrounded her was darkness.

_…All I want is the light._

Yet she was always denied it.

_That’s…I’m used to that._

It stung, nonetheless.

_She never let me have it._

She could remember a face, now.

_She looks like me._

A face that had sneered at her.

_She hates me._

A face that had raised a Keyblade against her.

_That’s right. I hate her, too._

She had left her here. Alone in the dark.

“That all of them?”

A voice.

_Who is that?_

“I think so.” A pause. “Is it just me, or are they getting stronger?”

_Strong…I was strong, once._

“No, they’re definitely getting stronger.”

_Was it the light?_

“I’m getting worried.”

_I want the light._

“Do you think…?”

_Why can’t I have the light?_

“Let’s go. We have to find her!”

_Her…that voice sounds…familiar._

At the edge of her awareness, something bubbled. Something about _that voice…_

_An emotion? Can I still feel those?_

That voice… _angered_ her…

“Mickey, wait!”

_MICKEY!_

Pure black rage suddenly stormed around her, an inferno of fury beneath the surface of the dark sea. If she had lips, the King’s name would have torn itself from them, a deafening, wrathful roar that would have echoed endlessly around the realm. Hate filled her essence – what was left of it, anyway. But this was nothing new. Hate had always defined her.

_Hate._ Oh, she hated many. The dark water swarmed around her horrid heart, the sole remaining proof of her existence. Memories came flooding back to her, the face of that _blue-haired bitch!_ somehow burning in her vision despite the darkness. Oh yes, she hated _her,_ the one who constantly denied her the touch of the light.

_She left me here! Again!_  
  
“What is it?”

But now, all her rage, hatred, and fury were directed toward one thing – the source of those words, the high-pitched squeaking that somehow passed for a voice. Those cloying syllables belonged to that wide-eyed excuse of a King. _The bastard who left me here!_ She snarled, pleasantly surprised to find that she could. Suddenly, her eyes opened, a landscape of dark water before her again. Before, she had fallen victim to it, but now the darkness was swarming around her, giving her a form once more. Somewhere above the surface, she could sense it. _The light._ Mickey’s light.

_I want it!_

“Look.”

The other voice was guiding that idiotic mouse toward something. An evil glee filled her as she realized what the two had found. _Her_ last message. She had smirked to herself while that bitch had written it in the sand, at that point certain that the Heartless would swarm the beach and wipe it from existence. Now, she was all-too-pleased to hear that it had remained. She could feel the water against her skin now. Her body was returning to her, summoned back from the brink by the remaining promise of her anger toward those who had wronged her.

“She left?!”

_Of course she did! You abandoned her!_

She cackled as a wicked plot began to take shape in her mind. Darkness swirled around her, hundreds of yellow eyes suddenly flickering underwater. Shadows frantically swam past her. At first, their dark bodies collided with one another, but soon, the Heartless coalesced around their own dark center. The phantom cackled as the shadows swarmed, circling her as they swarmed. She had become their heart, the commander of their demonic tower. And now, she would use it to take her revenge.

_This…is going to be fun._

…

_Mickey – I’m sorry. I had to leave._

_Ven at LoD. Find M.E. key._

“She left?!” Mickey exclaimed.

“She was _here_ ,” Riku realized. He couldn’t believe it, no matter how many times he read the message. Anxiety and dread mixed within him, their combination volatile. “She was here. We…we were _just here._ Shit!” He kicked at the ground, spraying sand into the air. “How did we miss this?”

“I don’t know,” Mickey mumbled, kneeling to the ground. He reached a hand out and pressed it against the letters inexplicably carved into the sand, trying to sense Aqua within them. “It couldn’t have been here before. We looked.” His voice was quiet and sad. “We looked everywhere…I…I don’t understand.”

Riku stormed away, furious with himself. “Fuck!” he screamed, enraged. He summoned his Keyblade, needing to strike something, anything. Luckily, there was a large boulder not too far from the message. He brought Braveheart down against the boulder, slamming it into the stone with as much force as he could muster, violently cursing with each strike. Meanwhile, Mickey sat by the message, his eyes closed to hide the tears that had started streaming down his face.

_How did we miss her?_ Riku’s confusion began to take over his frustration, slowing his strikes against the now demolished boulder, the very same rock by which Aqua had rested mere hours ago. He pushed the tip of the blade into the ground. He followed, kneeling. Riku rested his weight against Braveheart, his head down and eyes closed. _She was here…_

_We should have listened to Sora._

Hot tears came to Riku’s eye. Their salt burned against his lashes. “What’s the point of all this?” he muttered angrily.

“Riku.” Mickey’s voice was hushed, but the only other sound competing with it was the gentle ebb and flow of the waves. They reminded Riku of home, of the Destiny Islands. He made a quiet sound, acknowledging Mickey’s voice, but otherwise remained in place, letting the rhythm of the waves and the salt on the breeze calm him.

“Riku. Please, come over here.”

Slowly, he opened his eyes. Wiping the remains of the tears from his eyes, he stood, Braveheart grasped in the other hand. “What is it?” he growled. Embarrassed, he realized that his voice carried more irritation than he had meant. “Sorry,” he added quickly to assuage the King.

If Mickey had heard the irritation, it hadn’t affected him. He still sat by the message, a hand still pressed under the letters. His eyes now analyzed the second line. His brow furrowed as he considered it. Riku took his place next to the mouse. “Ven at LoD?” he whispered aloud. He had been so focused on the first part of the message that he had momentarily forgotten about the second part. “That’s…does she mean that’s where Ven is?”

Mickey didn’t respond, clearly trying to decipher the code Aqua had left for them. “LoD…” he mumbled absentmindedly. His hand slid over to the next part of the message. “M.E. key?” The King gasped, the inhale breaking through the calm silence of the realm. Riku’s eyes widened at the sound. “She means the Land of Departure!”

“The Land of Departure?” Riku repeated, unsure what Mickey meant. Quickly, however, he realized what the King had implied. “You know what that is?”

“Yes!” The King stood now, eyes aflame with confidence. He turned to face Riku, fists suddenly clenched. “The Land of Departure was where Aqua, Terra, and Ven trained to be Keyblade Masters,” he explained. Hope surged through Riku; he, too, stood. “Aqua must have brought Ven’s body there! I thought it was lost to darkness, but Aqua must have known a way back in.”

“How?”

The King’s eyes fell for a moment. “She…I think she must have used Master Eraqus’s Keyblade. That’s what the other part of the message means,” Mickey added, glancing at the words _M.E. Key._ “But…”

“To get into the Land of Departure, we would need Master Eraqus’s Keyblade,” Riku concluded. “And we don’t know where that is.” Riku paused, realizing something. “But Master Yen Sid might.”

Mickey looked up, shocked at the realization. “He could! We need to-”

Simultaneously, their faces fell. Both Masters had the same thought. Yes, they knew where Ven was, and with Sora, they could wake him. Master Yen Sid might be able to point them in the right direction to find the key. But if they left the Realm of Darkness to chase that lead...

“We…Master Yen Sid said all we needed to do was open the door,” Riku offered, trying to justify the choice to himself. “It might let Heartless through if we do that, but…well, it’s not like there aren’t already Heartless in the Realm of Light, right? So, we just leave it open. Aqua can find it. That’s what Master Yen Sid said. Right?...Mickey?”

Mickey had left his side. He now stood silently at the edge of the water, arms crossed and back turned to Riku. Riku’s eyes drifted to the ground, shame finding its way to his cheeks. He knew what the King would say. Knew that he was right.

“I’m not leaving here without Aqua.” Mickey turned to face him, his resolve clear in his eyes. “We’ve abandoned her here more than once. No more. I don’t care how long it takes.”

“I know,” Riku agreed, quietly.

“You should go back,” Mickey suggested. Riku froze, having started to move toward Mickey. “Find Sora, go to Master Yen Sid, and find Ven. I’ll stay here. I know how to get out, now.” He summoned his Keyblade, considering it before him. “I’ll be fine without you.”

“Mickey,” Riku muttered, closing his eyes. He shook his head. “You should know by now that I won’t abandon my friends.” The King smiled sadly as Riku approached him. A silent agreement passed between the two Masters as they stood at the shore, eyes on the horizon. Riku sighed deeply. “She’s out there, isn’t she?” he asked. “Somewhere in the water. Sora did say he didn’t see her here.”

“She must be,” Mickey replied. He shuddered. “I don’t know what’s out there, though. Something about these waters…they scare me.” Riku nodded silently in agreement. Even now, they looked somewhat choppy. A storm had to be brewing out in the distance. Anxiety slowly clasped its ways into his veins, but he suppressed it.

“I still don’t know how we missed her,” he admitted a few moments later. “Last time we were here, you said that she fell into some abyss. Do you think…?”

“Maybe.” The King was crestfallen. “The Heartless must have distracted us. But maybe…maybe that was just a trick the dark played on us. Maybe she hadn’t even gotten here yet, and the path we were following didn’t end here.” Riku felt extreme pity for Mickey; he had never heard the mouse so depressed. “I-”

He stopped. Their hearts skipped the same beat as something appeared on the horizon. A raft bobbed on the waves in the distance. It floated toward them. An odd sensation of recognition pulsed through Riku at the sight. The name came to him, as if summoned from deep within his memory. _Highwind?!_ It couldn’t be! How was his old raft here, of all places? Riku only had a second to consider that question before his heart skipped again.

Somebody stood on the deck of the ship.

A woman stood on the deck of the ship.

A _blue-haired woman._

“Aqua!” Mickey shouted instantly. He ran toward the water – ran _on the water,_ his magic somehow propelling him across the surface. Riku followed in euphoric disbelief. Neither Master had their Keyblade out, their wild joy at the vision of the lost Master blinding them to the reality around them. Neither Master saw that the raft was moving far too fast, that the waves carrying it were far more turbulent than the waves ahead of it, that the Aqua standing on the raft’s surface had no reaction to the sudden appearance of her friends.

“Aqua!” Riku cried as he and Mickey met the raft halfway out from the shore. He was grinning madly, overjoyed yet unable to believe what he saw. _We found her!_ he thought triumphantly, despair suddenly dispelled. A memory from his childhood flashed before him, previously lost but now found again. Aqua had spoken to him and Sora before. _We met,_ he realized. They had done it – they had finally found the lost Master here in the dark. And now, they would be able to bring her into the light.

“Aqua,” Mickey sobbed joyfully, overcome with tears yet again. He took another step forward, eyes fixated only on the woman before him, ignoring the darkness spilling out from underneath the raft. She had her head down, blue hair obscuring her eyes. Riku wondered if she was too overcome by tears to look at him. He could feel his own eyes watering. For the first time in twelve years, Riku examined the blue-haired master. She looked the same, except in her hands, she held a trinket. A Wayfinder, he realized. One with aquamarine glass. And in the glass, he could see a fragment of her reflection. And in the reflection, her eyes were open.

Her wicked _golden_ eyes.

“Mickey,” the phantom muttered, raising her head slowly. As she did, her blue hair suddenly turned silver. The cloth skirt around her hips darkened until it was pitch black, just like the rest of her clothes. Darkness crept along her pale skin, covering her legs, forearms, and chest. Her fingertips turned blood red; an inky darkness leaked from them, tainting the aquamarine glass. The bright blue gave way to black. The phantom met Mickey and Riku’s eyes as both masters took a frightened step back. Hundreds of Heartless suddenly swarmed around them, the gentle breeze now an aggressive, roaring gust. The phantom sneered, her teeth sharp. “You’re too late.”

…

Some time ago, Maleficent had watched as the blue-haired Keyblade Master left this shore. An unexpected vessel had voyaged to the shores of the Boundary. She stood there now, dull gray eyes examining the horizon. Maleficent had turned away from her at the time, but when she had looked back, she was… _perturbed_ to find that the raft had disappeared. She had pursed her lips then, surprised to discover that she could. How long had it been since an expression had come to her face? Prior, she had chalked her action up to confusion, but she had to recognize the source of the emotion now. Against her better judgment, she had grown to develop some sort of fondness for the woman. Maleficent was concerned.

She wondered what had happened to her. Maleficent could still sense the presence of light in this doomed place, but she could not pinpoint the Master’s location. Despite the strength of her light, it was as if the realm had obscured her from Maleficent’s view. This world certainly had the power to do so. Layers upon layers of darkness stacked upon each other in this world, different realities playing out in each level of hell. Now, Maleficent feared that Aqua had fallen into the lowest circle.

Just as she became certain that this was the Master’s fate, she felt something out there, across the ocean. _A door opened._ Yes, she could sense them now. Two hearts of light had entered the Realm of their own volition. Her lips pursed again. She had sensed these lights before, some time prior to meeting the Master. She recognized them. Why had they returned to this wretched place?

_I think…I shall try to help the next soul that falls here._

The edges of her lips curled as she remembered her own pledge to Aqua. Technically, the two hearts had not fallen here…yet…Her face swam before Maleficent’s vision again. Unconsciously, her hands reached for the staff she had once carried. “Hmm.” How long had it been since she had done _that?_ Instead, her hands clasped one another, long bony fingers stroking her pale skin. “Yes…She would be… _disappointed_ in me,” Maleficent muttered to herself.

Damn the Master. She had wormed her way into the fairy’s head. She stepped forward, hovering over the edge of the water.

Suddenly, a massive light flooded the realm. The sheer brightness was volatile, its power uncontrollable. Yet, unlike when the Master had saved the Princess from her dark fate, this light remained, blinding all those in the realm. Maleficent froze. Before, the light had barely fazed her; now, involuntarily, a gasp fell from her lips as she felt the heat of the light on her skin. Something in her ached. Dully, yes, but it ached nonetheless.

_What is this feeling?_ she wondered. _What is this light?_

Eventually, however, the illumination faded. The only evidence of its presence was impossibly far in the distance. An outline of a door, carved into the night sky. _Another_ door, not the one the two new arrivals had used. Yet it, too, faded, its remnants twinkling into nothingness. Whatever – or whoever – had called the light forth had clearly succeeded in their task. The realm rumbled around her, disturbed by the presence of the light. Something whipped past her face, nearly scarring her skin. Something else burst out of the water, only to dive back in, clearly in pursuit of something.

Meanwhile, Maleficent remained frozen over the water. As her awareness returned to her, she realized she was panting. But not just that. She became aware that there was… _something_ … in her pounding against her ribcage. _Impossible._ “It cannot be,” she whispered. Maleficent placed a hand on her chest, feeling the sensation within her. “My…my heart?”

…

She was right: This _was_ fun.

The phantom couldn’t help but snicker as the Demon Tower swirled across the surface of the water. Riku and Mickey dashed around it, constantly swerving out of its way as thousands of dark claws reached out to scratch them. Every now and then, they managed to land a direct hit with their blades or a burst of magic, but the tower’s supply of Heartless seemed near infinite. Meanwhile, the phantom watched from the shadows, hidden from view of either Master. As the Heartless had swarmed, she had faded back into the dark, content to bide her time as the two struggled. _I wonder who’s gonna get hit first,_ she thought, lips twisted into an eerie smile.

The answer: Riku. The phantom cackled as he dove in front of Mickey, his Keyblade blocking the King from a direct hit. He managed to avoid most of the attack, but a claw snagged his shoulder at the last second. The Master swore as blood sprang out of his skin. Gladly, the phantom realized the cut was deep. _Go ahead, cure it!_ she taunted in her mind. Sure enough, Riku followed her command as Mickey circled the tower, light magic firing out from the tip of his Keyblade.

As the two battled the Tower, the phantom briefly went over the plan she had formulated while listening under the surface. She had discovered a certain flair for the dramatic; the opportunity to fool the two into believing that it was their precious little friend on Riku’s long lost ship had proven too promising to let pass. The Wayfinder, on the other hand, had been the unintended icing on the cake. The phantom hadn’t even noticed that Aqua had lost it. Now, it dangled between her fingers, the glass completely black. Her precious prize belonged to her worst enemy. Now _that_ was just too rich!

Her eyes followed the King – or, rather, they followed his Keyblade. If her plan was to succeed, the phantom needed that Keyblade. It didn’t matter how she obtained it, but if, for some reason, Riku and Mickey were killed and the Keyblade was lost to her, she would not be pleased. She smirked. Well, she would be _a little_ pleased. But getting out of this place without that Keyblade was impossible for a creature like her. No matter what happened, this fight couldn’t end until Mickey was separated from his weapon. And she had just the idea of how. She had rehearsed the dialogue over and over again while the two heroes battled the Heartless. Break his heart – break his resolve – and the weapon would be hers.

Riku, on the other hand…the phantom observed as he landed another well-timed slice to the Tower. It staggered a bit as several Heartless fell out, disappearing into darkness before hitting the ground. The motion allowed Riku and Mickey to land a series of hits, one blade beaming with light and the other beaming with darkness. _Bravo._ She sneered. Riku was going to be the difficult one. The King would be easy enough to corrupt, but somehow that teenager had mastered his darkness.

_I’m going to have to kill him,_ she thought, smirking. Oh well. It’d be entertaining at least. _You should have left when Mickey gave you the chance._

Riku dodged another hit, but he was slowing. It was only a matter of time – _Yes!_ The tower had circled back around when he hadn’t been looking and had knocked him to the side, Keyblade out of his grasp. The phantom held herself back from running forth and grabbing the weapon – it wasn’t the one she needed. Mickey yelled Riku’s name as the Demon Tower surged underwater. He ran toward him, only to be caught in the middle of the reemerging swarm. It lifted him into the air as he screamed, caught in their web. Within seconds, he had disappeared. Meanwhile, the Tower churned out his Keyblade, tossing it to the side like a broken toy.

_Now!_

“Mickey!” Riku shouted, desperately trying to stand. He reached for his Keyblade, unaware that the phantom was casually sauntering to where the King’s discarded Keyblade lay on the surface of the water. He was distracted. The Shadows in the Tower lost their form, turning back to pure wisps of darkness. The darkness circled still around a black center, dark violet energy pulsing in the middle. From within this beating heart, Mickey’s head emerged, his face in agony.

The phantom knelt, fingers caressing the handle of the Keyblade. It shuddered in her grasp, clearly displeased that it was held by such a foul being. _Should I be insulted?_ the phantom wondered, smirking. She stood, testing the weight of the blade in her hand. The hilt was a mixture of yellow and blue, with stars and moons at each corner. The blade itself displayed the same night sky design, fading to a silver-blue color at the tip and a silver crown for the teeth. A golden keychain hung from the blade. The sight of one of the King’s emblems nearly made the phantom keel over in vicious laughter. _The arrogant little fool._

Yet she couldn’t give in to the desire. She had to keep up the act. Mickey and Riku believed her to be Aqua. Who was she to not put on a good show when they had paid such a high price of admission? The phantom hummed softly, spinning the blade in her hand. It finally gave into her will, though not without surging once to showcase its frustration. “You’ll behave,” she warned softly.

“Mickey!” Riku called again.

The phantom smirked. _Showtime._ She strode back into view of the two masters, wispy shadows still clinging to her body. “This Keyblade…” she muttered, deadening her voice to fool the two masters.  
Mickey stopped struggling at the sound of her voice. Riku, too, turned around, his mouth agape at her reemergence. “Is it her?” Riku asked quietly. Having never truly known her, he was the easiest to fool. For now, at least. The phantom had an unpleasant premonition that he still might spoil her plan. At least she had come from such a studious wielder; the time spent watching the battle had clued the phantom in to his moves.

The phantom turned to face both masters, her expression showcasing her abandonment. It was meant to be a faked expression, yet for some reason, the emotion welled up in her. Aqua’s face flashed before her eyes; the phantom wasn’t certain if it was Aqua’s emotion or the phantom’s feelings toward the Master. But right now, it wasn’t important.

“Mickey,” she taunted again, meeting the King’s eyes as the shadows dispersed from her body. “You’re too late.”

As Mickey confirmed the sight, his face fell. Every ounce of hope suddenly drained from him. The mouse had no way of knowing that the real Aqua had long since departed these shores. “What…what happened?” he asked hesitantly.

“You abandoned me, that’s what,” the phantom spat at him, every word laced with venom. “Left me in this shadow prison for more than a decade, knowing what it would do to me.” In her mind, the phantom was applauding her majestic performance; she watched shock and hurt cross the King’s features. Even Riku inhaled sharply. The phantom had spent enough time in Aqua’s heart and mind to know that the Master had doubted the King most of all. Laying the blame for all that had happened at his feet would destroy him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “It’s all my fault.”

_No shit!_ No, that would give it away entirely. The phantom turned her back on the two, striding out across the water, now able to hide the smirk that had returned to her features. _Make this hurt._ “I reached this shore after endless wandering,” she began as she walked, voice low. “Waited forever for help to arrive. But no one ever came.” She turned back to them at this point, making sure the words dug into their hearts. Something in her shifted. “I lost my Keyblade,” she growled. “Had no means of fighting my way back through the darkness. _You_ should have known I was stranded.” She raised his blade, pointing it at him as an accusation. “Do you have any idea how _lonely_ it is here? How frightening it is to have no one?”

She laughed bitterly. Over the course of the monologue, she had forgotten that she was acting. The darkness that had made her – the darkness in Aqua’s heart – was speaking for her now. It was all too easy to imagine that it wasn’t the King before her, but Aqua herself. “All that’s left in my heart is despair and misery…” she muttered. Her eyes met the King’s again. She relished how he looked away, unable to keep her gaze. “And now you can share it!”

Darkness gathered at the tip of the blade. Her eyes burned with fury, only too happy to end the King’s pathetic life. But, her ears picked up the sound of footsteps reaching the shore. She paused, magic dissipating. Riku stood now at the edge of the water, his face calm, as if her words hadn’t stung him at all. Her eyes narrowed as their gazes met. _He’s trouble._

“There’s no need,” he declared, quiet yet intense. “Got my own.”

Someone was approaching. He appeared out of the darkness – out of nowhere. A boy, at least a foot and a half shorter than him, took his place next to the Master. His hair was long and silver, his clothing a veiny blue and black, an ornate winged Keyblade in his hands. The two shared a look, nodded at one another, and then he disappeared, breaking into a million bright lights.

_Ah. Of course._ The phantom watched as Riku reacted to the lights, but it was limited to the smallest of gasps. Quickly, he reached out, summoning his Keyblade and walking forward. He crossed the water, stopping ten feet away from Aqua, and assumed his stance, blade pulled back and level with his head.

“So you’ve made him a slave,” the phantom remarked, Kingdom Key W at her side. She snapped her fingers, a dark barrier forming around them, blocking out Mickey’s view. The power of the magic surged through her, more power than she had ever experienced. She glanced down at the blade briefly, knowing now that the imitations she had held in the mirror world had nothing on the real thing. “Just what I would expect from a hero of the light.”

“I’m not much of a talker,” he answered.

“You’re right,” she replied. “You won’t be saying much after this.”

They flew at one another, their blades meeting in the center of the ring. The impact sprayed water everywhere, hiding them from view. For two seconds, their blades pressed against one another as they struggled, then, in unison, they leaped back. Unlike Aqua, the phantom would not be relying on a barrier to block every single attack thrown her way. No, she had different powers she would call upon.

Riku surged at her, his body disappearing into a violent burst of purple light. She countered easily, spinning behind him to land a strike on his back, but he dodged it quickly. They slashed at each other several times before Riku flew into the air above her, Keyblade pointed at her. “You’re done!” he roared.

“Am I?” she mocked, a dark violet aura gathering around her blade. Dark firaga flew from Riku’s blade, but when the spell vanished, the phantom was gone.

Riku landed, his eyes suddenly wincing at the sparkling and shimmering lights around him. Too late did he realize that it was an attack. Six spiked orbs collided with him, their shattering cutting him a thousand times. He yelled in pain, falling to his knees as the phantom reappeared from a dark portal, her blade primed to strike.

“Cure!” he managed through gritted teeth. The renewed strength gave him the power to meet her blow. She staggered, thrown off balance, and now it was his turn. He slashed at her mercilessly, each hit streaking purple through the air. She had no choice but to endure and wait until he risked a reprise. He sensed it, too, rolling out of the way just as she fired a blizzard spell at his chest.  
They glared at each other, both already panting from the effort. The phantom gathered darkness around her, using it as her own form of cure. “Is that any way to treat your friend?” she questioned sarcastically.

“Whatever you are, you’re not my friend,” he replied, his voice steady. She laughed as they ran at each other again, resuming their dance from before. She swung for his head; he ducked. Then, he slashed at her knees. She flipped through the air, landing behind him. They both spun, blades meeting as stars sparkled out. The phantom kept pressing though, not satisfied. Another three clashes of Keyblades, the phantom trying to gain the upper hand and Riku not letting her.

She growled. Her earlier prediction had been correct. This wasn’t going to be easy.

The assault continued. Finally, Riku started to give. The force of the phantom’s attacks was too much to stay planted; inadvertently, he backed up. The phantom drove him toward the barrier she had erected. His eyes darted around between clashes, a grimace confirming to the phantom that he understood the situation. Now all that was left –

“Fuck!” She’d gotten cocky and mistimed a blow! Riku read it perfectly, dodging and swiping at her feet. The phantom had no choice but to force herself into the air, barely missing the attack. She quickly portaled away from the Master. In a split second, the two waged a brief mental tennis match.

_He’ll go out to the center –_

_That’s the first thing she’ll expect._

_Left or right then?_

_She might expect that, too, though._

_Copies!_

_You’ll have to be fast._

Riku sprinted to the left, his body again pulsing purple. Three projections burst out, one to his right just in case, the other aiming an attack directly where he had been, and the third ready for him on his left. He pulsed past her, though, his blade to strike. He succeeded, but not without cost. Just as his blade connected, an explosion of magic appeared at the end of the projection’s blade, cutting his arm.

He swore, feet hitting the water again, but he continued to run. The phantom continued her assault, diving in and out of reality. Riku zigzagged around the arena, forced to either pirouette out of the way at the last moment or defend himself. Mostly, he was successful; unfortunately, he couldn’t block everything. Stray bursts of her dark violet magic hit him, each strike a searing pain on his skin. As the game continued, the two shared the same thought: _He can’t go on like this much longer._

They were both right. Riku grew tired, and one slow motion was enough. He dodged one last attack, but barely, and ended up facing the wrong direction. “Farewell!” the phantom roared behind him, mocking Aqua while summoning two projections. His senses exhausted, Riku reacted instinctively to the sound, turning around instead of diving out of the way. The three imitated Aqua’s Spellweaver attack, the blade firing three bursts of magic directly at him. All three connected, a direct hit.

The force threw him toward the edge of the barrier. Sure enough, his body connected with the magical wall, an extra attack that knocked the remaining air out of him. The barrier flung him to the ground as the phantom sped across the water, spraying vapor into the air as she did. Still recovering from the attack, Riku was unable to bring himself to his feet in time, unable to summon his Keyblade to deflect the phantom’s volley of slashes and strikes.

Blood tainted the water as the phantom cut at Riku. He gasped in pain at first, then cried out as her blade cut him. Satisfied with the assault, she reached out and grabbed him by the neck, holding him above her. He choked as she laughed at him. “And you call yourself a Keyblade Master?” She flung him from her, darkness aiding her physical strength. Like a rag doll, he landed on the other side of the arena in a crumpled mess.

The phantom snapped her fingers, watching him. He lay silently on the surface of the water as a window appeared in the barrier, Mickey’s eyes peering through it. She couldn’t hear him, but as she walked toward the silver-haired boy, she caught the sight of his gasping out of the corner of her eye. An evil smile twitched at the corners of her mouth as she stood over Riku. She raised her blade.

Braveheart met it, right above Riku’s head. The phantom’s eyes widened as a bottle quietly _plunked_ through the surface of the water. _An elixir!_ He was faking! Riku forced her back with a powerful swing of the silver blade. Off-balance, the phantom couldn’t adjust. Dark fire burned around Riku’s free hand. He slammed it into the phantom’s gut, and for a moment, the phantom was unpleasantly reminded of when she had fallen victim to the same move in her last fight.

She coughed, dark flecks of blood flying from her mouth as the fire burned her skin. The blow knocked her back away from Riku, but he was already in pursuit. She grimaced, her teeth clenched in pain as the fire continued burning. Riku slammed his blade down, but she rolled out of the way, summoning a torrent of water to block him and douse the remaining flames.

As she stood, wind rushed past her, bouncing the ends of her hair. She quickly parried the Master’s blow. They clashed again, dancing around the arena as they swerved around, under, and over each other’s hits, metal striking metal. The battle went on like this for several exhausting minutes, neither wielder able to create an opening or summon a powerful enough spell without being quickly blocked or counterattacked.

The phantom’s eyes shone with ferocious intensity. Whatever enjoyment she had taken at battling the teenager had long since disappeared. Every mistake she had made so far had been due to her own cockiness. Sinful pride and wrath had given way to a cold, calculating intensity as she studied Riku’s strikes, constantly searching for a way to overwhelm him. He, too, had learned from his previous mistakes, had adjusted his stance and speed. _We’re equally matched,_ she realized, leaning to the left to avoid another deadly slice of Braveheart.

_But I don’t have to fight fair._

The phantom struck at Riku again, continuing the attack even as it sailed past him. The distraction worked; she summoned a portal right in front of her, allowing herself to fall into it as he swung where the phantom should have been. However, she had done this before, and Riku had read it every single time. Quickly, he summoned a barrier around him – not as strong nor automatic as the ones Aqua used, but more than sufficient to block the phantom’s onslaught. Yet no attack came.

Riku waited, the barrier fading. He drew short, shallow breathes, eyes wildly scanning the arena. He kept Braveheart at the ready yet kept his magic at bay. Was the phantom trying to fool him into summoning a costly but powerful magic attack? Her disappearance had afforded him the time to do so, but she could reappear at any second –

Something shattered! Riku’s spun to face the source of the sound, eyes widening as the Demon Tower broke through the barrier. It was swarming toward him, Mickey’s seemingly lifeless body tossed around inside! Suddenly, the wind rushed, brushing the hair on the back of his head. He quickly turned, barrier summoned to deflect the phantom’s attack.

The phantom sneered at him as she flew through the fire magic she had thrown at the shield, Keyblade raised above her head. She hammered at the barrier, meeting Riku’s eyes. Another silent conversation passed between them:

_You can’t break through!_

_I’m not trying to!_

Riku’s eyes went wide. The barrier broke. Braveheart quickly deflected her blade as Riku spun to face the Demon Tower, but he couldn’t block two enemies at once! Claws raked his skin as he surged away, blood drawn, but when he landed, the phantom had portaled to him. They clashed again as the Tower surged around for another strike. The phantom kept his attention just long enough, disappearing just as the Tower struck where the two stood.

Riku flew away in time, but in the two seconds he was in the air, the phantom made her move. Six projections burst out of the dark, two above and below, the other four surrounding Riku’s side. The silver-haired teen gritted his teeth, knowing he was in for a beating. The phantom again struck at him, the six Keyblades all radiating dark energy throughout the assault. At the end of it, five of the phantoms disappeared, leaving only the one above Riku, her blade raised again.

“Go to hell!” she roared, slamming the blade down on his chest.

He coughed up blood as the Keyblade bashed into him. The sheer force of the attack rocketed the boy through the surface of the water, ending whatever spell he had enacted to walk on it. His blade shot from his grasp upon the impact, landing just feet away from the Demon Tower. Immediately, a tendril of darkness shot forth and tossed Braveheart through the opening at the top of the Tower. The tide swallowed the Keyblade whole.

The phantom landed gently on the surface, eyes cast down at where the Master had succumbed to the depths. A victorious sneer sat on her features. Riku was not lost to the darkness forever – he very well might be immune – but she had time now. Time to escape. And, more importantly, time to gloat.

Calmly, she turned and crossed to where the Demon Tower raged. She snapped her fingers, and the Tower coughed up the King. He was a bloodied mess, his clothes torn to shreds. She cackled at the sight, overjoyed to see the once powerful Guardian of Light subjected to such a pathetic defeat.

She grabbed one of his oversized ears, nails digging into the flesh. He moaned in pain but was too injured to resist. She dragged him across the water, then onto the beach, making sure his face collided with any rocks that they met. Each bump filled her with a savage glee. Every time she sensed that he was about to pass out from the pain, she sharply jutted him with his Keyblade. She needed him awake for this.

“Aqua,” he mumbled weakly as they departed from the beach, the phantom still dragging him across the ground. “W...why?”

She laughed again, a bitter and broken sound. “Why not?” she asked. The blade pulsed in her hand; she was close. She dropped the King on the ground with a thud, flipping him over to see his smeared and bleeding face. One of his eyes was swollen shut, the other lined with blood and tears. She pressed a boot against his chest and leaned down, baring her teeth to the King in a nasty snarl. “I told you. You left me here for _ten years._ ” Something in her still felt the anger and abandonment that Aqua had suppressed. Now, however, the phantom was only too happy to give into those wicked feelings. “Let’s see how you like it.”

“A-are y-y-you going to kill me?” he panted.

“Kill you?” she mocked. “And let you miss out on all the fun?”

“Aqua…p-please.”

She cackled again. “And so he begs!” she mocked. She leaned closer, so that her lips were right in front of his face. “I want you to know this,” she whispered, “so that you can spend the rest of your life here in the dark suffering just like I did. Nobody is going to come for you, just like nobody came for me. His blood will be on your hands now,” she added darkly. The King shuddered in pain, realizing who she meant. “Just like hers is.”

“H…hers?” His voice was weak, confused.

“Oh…” The phantom stood now, releasing the King from under her boot. The mouse was still too weak to stand; in all likelihood, he would probably pass out again in the next few seconds. But that was of no concern to the phantom. Without his Keyblade, he would be trapped here in this hell for all eternity. The Heartless would destroy him soon enough. And she…

She held the blade in front of her. It resisted her command still, but she overpowered its will, darkness running across the length of the blade. A beam of light – of _beautiful, precious light_ that the phantom so desperately desired – shot forth from the blade. It carved a white marble door in front of her. She twisted the blade, hearing the door click open. Light filtered through. The phantom’s heart ached at the sight.

Finally, _she_ would feel the light.

She lowered the blade, still facing away from Mickey. “I’m not Aqua,” she told him, hearing him inhale sharply at the news. “She already left.” A weak sob left the King’s lips seconds before he passed out. The phantom laughed one final time, priding herself on a fantastic performance. Then, she stepped through the door. It swung shut behind her, disappearing into nothingness and leaving Mickey and Riku trapped in the Realm of Darkness once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter in one sitting three weeks ago and was grinning like an idiot the entire time. It was my favorite chapter to write so far, even as the ones surrounding it gave me a lot of trouble. Getting to adapt the dialogue from the Anti-Aqua scene in the game for the phantom was a lot of fun, as was the battle between her and Riku. 
> 
> Otherwise, a fairly straightforward chapter (I hope). Next time: Vanitas makes his entrance. Thanks for reading!


	10. Destiny and Oblivion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua returns home, and the phantom makes an ally.

Aqua had prepared herself, but this still hurt.

The Land of Departure looked exactly as she remembered it. That was the issue. Dusk had overtaken the light, blanketing the world in darkness. The once glorious landscape had disappeared, cloudy mountains and bright blue skies replaced by a dark, swirling, ever-present fog. Light tried to permeate the mist, but the clouds were too thick. She had no idea whether it was day or night. Bitterly, it reminded her of the Realm of Darkness. All that remained of the land was a long rocky trail. It seemed to go on forever, and had she not known which way to walk, she might have wandered the dusk until the end of time.

The world had always been small, only meant to sustain the apprentices and masters who lived in the castle. Wildlife had flourished in the otherwise untouched environment. In her youth, she had gone into the forests and mountains frequently, had learned about the animals and fauna that inhabited the world. Just as Master Eraqus was responsible for training new wielders, so too was he responsible for the well-being of the world. “The respect for all living things,” she muttered as she walked. They were to exist in harmony with the world, not in a dictatorship. Such was the way of the light. And now, it was gone.

This world carried many secrets with it. Master Eraqus had always told the three of them that when they became Masters, he would divulge those secrets to them. He had only managed to tell her about the need to lock away the world; they had agreed to discuss matters further after defeating the Unversed. Regret and guilt filled her as she walked. She wondered what had happened to the life that had flourished in this world. Were the animals sleeping, just like Ven? Had their lives been paused while she had been trapped?

 _No tears._ Fog clung to Terra’s suit as she traversed the path, bracing herself for the upcoming castle. The voyage from the Keyblade Graveyard had passed without incident. In fact, it was shorter than she had expected. Perhaps the worlds had rearranged themselves after Sora saved them. She appreciated the brevity. More time spent travelling meant more time to doubt herself, to convince herself of all the horrible things that could be waiting for at her ravaged home.

More time to wallow in guilt. Not just for her friends, but for the world itself, the entire ecosystem she had locked away to keep Ven safe. That was selfish. Aqua didn’t have any right to put so many lives on hold, especially when she didn’t know what she was protecting. The Master had never really explained why the world needed to be sealed; she had just accepted it at face value, hoping to learn more later. _Maybe now I never will._ At the time she had understood, but now, she wondered what Master Eraqus wanted to keep hidden.

For as long as she had wielded the Keyblade, she had only known two other Keyblade Masters. Though he trained Mickey, Yen Sid had retired, while Xehanort…she shuddered. For all her studies, Aqua knew very little about the history of her home, of those who came before her. Supposedly, this was the seat of the Keyblade Masters. The same history said that the Keyblade Masters were once plentiful – Maleficent, too – yet if that were the case, the Land of Departure was far too small. Master Eraqus had never discussed the contradiction in their history, either. He never told them much about his training or his youth, dancing around the question whenever she had asked (she had always been the one to ask).

 _He kept it a secret,_ she realized, grimacing at the thought. Damn the phantom. Briefly, she paused. “We’ll see,” she muttered, the phantom’s last threat still engraved somewhere in her brain. Her reunion with Terra had all but pushed her clone from her mind, but at the thought of the Master’s secrets, she had reclaimed her hold. Warily, Aqua paused and scanned her surroundings. This world teetered on the edge, inches away from falling to darkness. Was the phantom waiting in the wings for her now?

Aqua shook her head, laughing bitterly. “What am I doing to myself?” she mumbled, walking again. Without a doubt, the phantom had recovered from their fight. Yet even if she had pulled herself out of the depths, she was still trapped in the Realm of Darkness. She hadn’t come through the door with her. The light had given Aqua too much power, had severed their connection. Plus, it took Aqua twelve years to find a way out. She was safe, for the time being.

However…Her feet continued carrying her forward as her mind wandered. What _was_ the phantom? It was easy enough to believe she was just a demon from the Realm of Darkness, but Aqua was certain. The phantom had grown a heart, one she hadn’t had before. How? _When we saved Elsa._ That was another mystery, but it was the only explanation. Something must have happened there, when she encountered Anna, Sora, and Ven’s hearts.

 _She was my darkness._ Were she and the phantom like Ven and Vanitas, like the two Maleficents? “No,” she mumbled. Aqua wasn’t pure light like Ven and Maleficent. She had always had darkness within her. Certainly now, she was closer to it than ever before, but the shadows no longer threatened her. The darkness was a friend, not an enemy. Yet when Maleficent split herself, she hadn’t been pure light either. Even Ven had felt its pull. If they had all felt darkness when their others had been created, that could only mean -

Aqua froze. The phantom’s heart hadn’t been created from Aqua’s darkness.

It had been created from her light.

A faint smile cracked at the corner of her lips. She set forth again, content to let the conclusion rest for now. The castle was approaching, and as she grew nearer, she once again thought about her home. With all that she had endured, Aqua knew the Land of Departure was just one world associated with the Keyblade Masters. The Keyblade Graveyard proved that. During her time in the Realm of Darkness, she had occasionally wondered how the hundreds of Keyblades had ended up there. Each time she did, Aqua was sickened with herself. Even now, she hesitated to let her mind consider the question, terrified to admit that she shared Xehanort’s need to understand the Keyblade’s mysteries.

They had always interested her. After Xehanort brought Ven to the castle, Aqua and Master Eraqus had discussed who he was. He had explained that Xehanort was a Seeker, a Keyblade Master who sought to understand the mysteries of the world. At the time, Aqua had thought that that was her path, too. Go out into the world and seek answers to the thousands of questions she had. She had even gone so far as to ask Master Eraqus if he would allow her to accompany Xehanort on one of his travels. The memory disgusted her now, of course, but she just couldn’t quell the questioning voice inside her. She wanted to know. Yet if Xehanort was what happened when a wielder became a Seeker, she would be content to find another path for her future.

 _My future._ A strange look crossed her face. She hadn’t considered that in a long time. Of course, she knew what the immediate future held. Now, however, the future beyond saving Ven and Terra was a tangible thing. After defeating Xehanort, she would have the rest of her life to…well, live. Be human. They would defeat him, of course. They had no other possibilities. Aqua refused to consider a future in which they were unsuccessful, in which any of them were lost to the darkness.

Or worse.

Aqua came to a halt, her brain registering the sight before her eyes. It ripped her out of her reverie. She dismissed the suit, blaming her sudden shuddering on the cool air that met her skin. _My home,_ she thought, heart aching. The once splendorous castle now looked like a toddler’s approximation of one. Towers laid nonsensically on their sides, jutting from the building like misshapen arms. White marble had been replaced by grimy brown brick. An eerie gold light glowed in the windows. It looked foreboding, gothic, nothing like the beautiful home Aqua had loved.

 _No tears,_ she reminded herself. She sighed, summoning both Stormfall and Ends of the Earth. _I know it’s useless, but I have to try._ They hummed in agreement as she raised them, willing them to unlock the world. Feebly, two beams of light burst from the blades, but just as she had suspected, they failed to coalesce into anything. _Figures._ “Thank you,” she whispered to the Keyblades. Hesitantly, she dismissed Ends of the Earth, still not used to the sensation of two weapons in her hands. Stormfall remained as Aqua measured the castle.

 _Please know that it’s me,_ she begged the building. Castle Oblivion. That was its name in this form, Master Eraqus had explained. This secret, at least, he had revealed. Inside, the castle looked glorious, every surface a pure, beautiful white. That was the point. It was a trap. Draw the visitor in with the splendor and intrigue. Leave the entrance chamber, and it was a maze. Visitors could spend an eternity wandering the twisting, turning halls. Left was right, up was down. The rooms played tricks on visitors, rearranging themselves at random, taking on different forms. Time magic pulsed in the brick. The past played out in the halls, haunting the mind. Days – weeks, even – could pass on the outside before anyone reached their intended destination on the inside. Not unlike the Realm of Darkness.

“The magic here is ancient,” Master Eraqus had said. “When sealed away, this world takes on a mind of its own. Memories are destroyed, senses obfuscated. Time crawls to a halt as years pass on the outside. Here, to find is to lose, and to lose is to find.”

“An ingenious defense,” she agreed. She never expected to be the one contending with it.

 _You know me,_ Aqua thought as she walked forward, eyes scanning the castle. _Please lead me to him._ Taking a deep breath, she grasped the handle with her free hand. The massive door swung open with ease, revealing the shine of the white hall inside. Aqua entered, closing the door behind her with a dull thud. _I’m here, Ven._

…

She sighed, closing her eyes as she laid her head back on the sand. _How beautiful._ This was… _glorious._ She had never known peace like this in her entire existence, however short it might be. The sound of the waves against the sand was soothing, the feeling of the sun on her skin warming her cold heart. She finally had the light all to herself. Nothing could compare.

The phantom brought her hands behind her head, humming some tune that Aqua must have hidden deep in her subconscious. She stretched her legs, enjoying the sensation of relaxing. She’d never gotten to experience that before. It was luxurious. She could stay like this forever. Hell, she might. She didn’t _have_ to fight Aqua. The master was probably on guard for her anyway. Why not let her think she had forgotten, only to show up five years from now and put Mickey’s Keyblade through her heart when she least expected it?

“Oh, Mickey,” she sighed dramatically. The sigh turned into a gleeful laugh as she remembered the last look on his face. So _abandoned!_ Hopeless! Oh, no, she had to go find Aqua now. She couldn’t live life _not_ seeing the expression on her face when she found out her dearly beloved friend was trapped in the Realm of Darkness. She could wait a few hours, though. Not like she knew where Aqua was, anyway. Well…She smirked. She could guess.

No need to get bothered over it now. Not when the light was shining on her so gloriously. The phantom ran her bony fingers through the sand, indulging in the sensation of the grains sliding through her fingers. The sand beneath her was so warm she couldn’t even be irritated that it was worming its way into every crevice in her clothing. Sunlight bounced off her pale skin, while the parts contaminated with darkness swallowed the light whole. Every ray of sun nourished her, filled her with such happiness.

And yet…it wasn’t enough. Something was still missing.

As the phantom made the realization, her tranquility faded. She adjusted, sitting up to look out at the bright blue ocean in front of her. She could see the mainland from where she sat. She knew this beach, from Aqua’s memories. The Master had only spent a few hours here, yet it was ingrained firmly in her memories. This had been where she had met those two brats. The phantom smirked, glancing behind her momentarily. After leaving the Realm of Darkness, she had taken care to demolish the entrance to the secret place. Rocks covered the front, the result of a cave-in prompted by her magic. Even if Riku found his way out of the water, even if he got to the King before the Heartless did, and even if they magically found a way out of the dark, they’d still have to deal with that obstacle. Every step had been carefully planned.

She was _Aqua’s_ phantom, after all.

The light was so strong here. It needed to be. Pure darkness was hidden just beneath the surface. No wonder those two brats had grown up here. Aqua had emblazoned their strength of heart into her memories of the islands. But if the light was so strong, why was it not enough? She wanted the light. She could feel it in her now, but part of her being was still unfulfilled. It…was she sad about that? Something wet slid down her face. _A tear?_ Furiously – and, perhaps, embarrassed – she wiped it away. She had feigned tears before, to manipulate Aqua, but…this wasn’t like that. She shunned the emotion, locking it away and forcing it deep down into her heart.

She didn’t need tears. All she needed was the light. That, and her hate for Aqua.

 _Maybe it’s her._ That made sense. She sighed, dusting sand off her clothing, readying herself to stand. She was still tied to that bitch, wasn’t she? That’s why the light left her empty. Before, her tie to Aqua had been the only reason for her existence. Nothing had changed. She couldn’t enjoy the light so long as Aqua was out there playing the hero.

 _You don’t deserve the light,_ something within her said.

She silenced that, too. _Of course I do. I got out. I’m here._ She summoned Mickey’s Keyblade to prove it. It appeared, hesitantly, shuddering in her grip. She rolled her eyes. “You need to learn to behave,” she admonished. It pulsed angrily before disappearing on her command. _Aqua’s going to lose her mind._ She delighted at the thought, pleased at the image of Aqua mourning Mickey. For a moment, the emptiness left. The hole in her essence filled. She closed her eyes, smelling the salt on the breeze. As soon as the feeling came, however, it left, leaving her somehow even emptier. Her eyes snapped open, her lips a vicious frown.

 _It’s her fault I can’t have it._ She snarled. _I have to kill her now._ There was no choice. _She has to be at the Land of Departure._ That was the obvious place. Unless…She furrowed her brow, digging her nails into her palms. Realistically, the phantom had no way of knowing where that door had led. The second Aqua leapt through it, their connection had been severed. She tried sensing her now, but she couldn’t. It was weird. Her entire existence up to that point had been defined by her connection to Aqua, but now she had nothing.

 _You are nothing without her,_ the voice whispered again.

“Shut up!” the phantom snarled, slapping herself. Doubt, however, had wormed its way into her, just as it once had for Aqua. If the phantom had only been defined by her connection to Aqua, without it…what was she? Was she just a poor imitation of Aqua? Was that why she was feeling these ridiculous emotions? They had to be Aqua’s. Her pulse quickened. If they were Aqua’s, though, then what was hers? _My hate._ Yes, yes, that was good. Aqua would never let hate control her. That belonged to the phantom, of course. Her hatred for Mickey.

But was that really _her_ hatred?

“Huh,” she muttered. Of course, she hated that mouse, but…Deep down in the master, she had doubted the King, resented him for not coming back to save her. The phantom had played on that resentment. Now, it was _her_ resentment. Her hate. Aqua had passed it on to her. The phantom grew distressed. If her hate wasn’t hers, then what was? Panicking, her mind unwittingly turned to those two brats again. Now, it stirred something even more foreign within her. That other kid – the brunette – his face reminded her of somebody. His eyes, too. They were so blue. Not like hers, but like his.

Like Ven’s.

Something in her chest ached. “What the hell is that?” she muttered, pressing a hand against her breast as if to examine the ache. She considered it quietly for a moment. What was this wretched feeling? She could only use Aqua’s memories to figure it out. Aqua’s heart had ached plenty for that blonde idiot. She had played on that, too, manipulating Aqua’s despair. This feeling – it was like that. It was –

“Oh, _absolutely not!_ ” she growled. “Get out!”

But it wouldn’t leave her. She _missed_ him, this boy she didn’t even know. _God damn it!_ She screamed, her last vestiges of enjoyment snapping out of existence. No, _not_ her – Aqua. More of Aqua’s unbidden memories assaulted her. She grabbed her head, slamming her eyes shut. Aqua’s memories – not just of Ven, but Terra, too – flooded her mind, yet they were twisted, imbued with the phantom’s own feelings toward them. She felt Aqua’s anger toward Terra just fine, could live with that, but every time Ven’s face flashed before her, despair filled her. Horrible, horrible despair. She couldn’t save him.

_What a failure._

_Not me!_ The phantom screamed inside her head. _Not a failure! She is!_  
  
She tried to calm herself. _I can live with despair. I am despair._ That, too, prompted another of Aqua’s memories. “Oh god,” she moaned, her heart leading her mind down a wretched path. Another memory flew through her – her, Ven, and Terra discussing one of the Master’s lessons. “No, _not me!_ ” she screamed, slamming a hand against the ground. Ven was talking about how he would use his sadness for good. Use his love for good. She remembered Aqua agreeing with it, recalling it in the last moments before saving Elsa. Aqua loved Ven with all her heart. The despair the phantom felt was because of that love.

 _I love Ven,_ the phantom realized.

The phantom had gotten what she wanted. She had the light. Now, she had to pay the cost.

Her chest ached again as she thrashed on the ground, cursing in every tongue imaginable. This couldn’t be possible! Love? _Love?_ How dare that _bitch_ let her feel something like that! She couldn’t love anything! She screamed out, summoning Mickey’s Keyblade. She stood, face murderous, the urge to kill something, _anything,_ raging through her. _LOVE?_ She didn’t love _anything_ \- she would prove it!

Kingdom Key W throbbed in her hand, still displeased that she held it. She stormed across the beach, eyes set on the bridge connecting to the smaller island with the Paopu Tree. Her dark heart throbbed as she marched. She wanted to rip that horrid organ out of her. It pulsed again, in conversation with the reluctant Keyblade in her hand. _They’re laughing at me!_

Releasing an enraged shriek at the realization, she slammed the Keyblade against the wood. Dark magic flowed out of her as she destroyed the bridge, screeching at the top of her lungs. With every swing, she imagined Aqua’s face, Mickey’s face, Terra’s face. But, try as she might, she couldn’t bring herself to imagine Ven’s face. Something in her – “NOT ME!” she roared again, dark fire bursting out of the blade as she connected with another post. Aqua could never imagine hurting Ven. Therefore, neither could the phantom.

Eventually, she tired herself out, collapsing to the ground. She breathed rapidly, angrily, eyes admiring the work. Planks of wood lay scattered on the sand, some of the logs still burning with the fire she had summoned. She had torn the bridge to shreds. The rage had subsumed her, but the destruction wasn’t enough. Her teeth clenched as another growl ripped through her throat. _The light’s not enough._ No, she had to find Aqua now. That bitch was still finding a way to take the light from her. She had to kill her – that was the only way to get rid of these memories. She couldn’t be her own person until the Master was dead.

 _Not enough,_ she thought. _I need to kill something else._ Panting, she rose, turning her eyes toward the Paopu Tree. She could see its fruit hanging from a branch. Mickey’s Keyblade throbbed again, screaming against her wishes. Part of her wanted to smash the Keyblade into a million pieces. _After this, I might._ She raised the blade, dark flames curling at the end of it as she aimed for the tree.

Something darted at the edge of her vision. The phantom narrowed her eyes, lowering the Keyblade. It shuddered; she gripped it tighter, daring it to disobey. Slowly, she turned, eyes intense. _Where did it go?_ It wasn’t like it could hide in the darkness. Everything was way too bright out here. She suddenly resented that fact. The light touched everything, shining joy on the land. It was all far too happy. Happy when she was anything but. _It’s not fair._

It flew past her, now, darting to the other side of the beach. Killing it would at least satisfy a portion of her rage, would distract her from these awful emotions. She sniffed, sensing it. It reeked of fear. Of darkness. It had scurried off to the dock on the other side of the beach. She could see it hiding underneath. Dark fire appeared in her hand as she stalked across the sand. It shuddered in the dark. A nasty grin spread across her face; it was powerless to stop her. It was trapped under the dock, its back to the water. Torturing it could kill these wretched feelings.

She stopped five feet away, finally able to see the creature properly.

_A Flood._

“God damn it,” she muttered, already sensing him behind her.

…

Ven and Terra ran past her.

For the fifth time.

Aqua dulled the rush of emotion in her heart, leaning against the wall as the latest of her memories faded away, revealing the white sheen of the castle once more. She shuddered, her knees weak. She still held out hope that the castle knew it was her, but the way it was toying with her suggested it didn’t. _If it can see my memories then it knows who I am,_ she argued bitterly.

Perhaps it wasn’t the castle at all. It hadn’t just been Ven and Terra. She had seen the Master, too, and herself, and, against her better wishes, Xehanort. The scenes of her life had played out in front of her. After the first three, she had tried to steel herself. She had summoned Terra’s armor again, the shadow of his presence at least calming her a bit. Yet every step she took was still haunted by the memories of her friends.

 _My family,_ she corrected herself. Did any of this look familiar? When she left, she had taken care to memorize the route she had used to leave. She was reversing directions in her head, trying to tell left from right, up from down. Unfortunately, every hallway and room looked exactly the same. Stark white, from top to bottom, with the same decorations, same dimensions. She couldn’t tell any of the rooms apart.

This one, however, was different. As she walked forward into the latest hall, she noticed scuffs against the floor. She pursed her lips, mind wondering. _Doesn’t ring any bells._ Slowly, she padded around the room, eyes scanning for anything out of the norm. Under the white sheen, she could see it now. This room was damaged. Something had happened here. She knelt down at the center, pressing a hand against one of the scuff marks. She furrowed her brow. Knives? That was the only explanation for the pattern she saw. Curious. A fight, maybe? It had to be.

 _I’m making progress,_ she thought.

And then, panicking -

_Ven._

If somebody had gotten into a fight here, there could only be one explanation. _I need to move faster._ She hurried across the room, pausing at the door on the other side. Aqua flew up the set of stairs, another set of memories waiting for her at the next floor, but she bounded past them. She’d spent enough time wallowing in the ghosts. Ven was close by, but somebody else had been here. Somebody else might still be here.

She needed to get to him.

Channeling the bubbling panic into her legs, Aqua leapt up another set of stairs two at a time. She entered another hall, but instinctively, she spun to her right and followed a narrow corridor that stretched an improbably long distance. _I remember this!_ This hall had struck her as out of place when she’d left. Her heart hammered. She was close.

Doors to empty rooms and wayward hallways passed her, but she ran past them, knowing they led to dead ends and turnarounds. A part of her wanted to truly explore the castle in this state, wondering if it concealed other rooms like the Chamber of Waking. No time, though. She skidded to a halt as the corridor ended and opened up to two separate paths. Aqua went left, passed three doors, then swung open the next one.

Another hall, inexplicably wider than the last but otherwise identical to all the other rooms. This was it though. A large door awaited her at the opposite end. Aqua closed the distance, hand already reaching out for the handle. She wrapped her fingers around it and pulled.

It wouldn’t budge.

 _This has to be it._ Aqua could feel it. She remembered this door exactly. She tried the handle again, but still, the door didn’t open. Summoning Stormfall, Aqua stepped back and raised the Keyblade. A beam of light flew from the weapon and found its way into the lock. For one tense moment, Aqua knew the door would swing open. She would see Ven, be able to hold him in her arms again. Then, it was just a few short hours until Sora helped wake him up.

But…the door didn’t open.

Shell-shocked, Aqua’s fingers lost their grasp on the Keyblade. Stormfall slipped out of her hands, disappearing before it hit the ground. Tears formed on the lining of her eyes. Sorrow nearly overtook her again. However…Ends of the Earth took Stormfall’s place. Aqua snarled, suddenly enraged. “I didn’t come here for this!” she declared as she flew at the door, Terra’s Keyblade ready to demolish it.

Instead, she collided with a force field that flung her across the room. She smashed into the wall with a thud, managing to land on her feet thanks to the protection of the armor. She glared at the door, furious that it was denying her. “It’s me!” she shouted, approaching the door again. _I just want to see my friends! It should know me!_

For a moment, she debated assaulting the door again, but it was no use. As frustrating as it was to be denied the chance to see her friend – _again,_ the sting of her reunion with Terra still fresh in her mind – it, at the very least, assuaged her panic. The castle’s defenses had held. If she couldn’t open the door, then nobody else could. Yet Aqua wanted nothing more than for the door to open.

“Please,” she begged, voice dropping. “I just want to see him.” The castle offered no response. _Okay,_ she thought, sighing. It was no use. Now, at least, she knew that Ven was safe. She knew where in the castle he was. _I just need the key._ Refusing to acknowledge the mystery of where Master Eraqus’s Keyblade had gone, she turned, ready to leave the castle. _Yen Sid’s tower,_ she decided immediately. That was the only place that she could go.

Just as she made to leave the hall, she heard voices. She froze, heart leaping into her throat. _Ven?_ She listened, but it wasn’t coming from the direction of the chamber. No, it was off to the side. Several doors led from this hall. She could hear voices coming faintly from one of them. _Which means they can hear me,_ she realized, suddenly regretting her outburst. Ends of the Earth pulsed reassuringly in her grasp, as if telling her that she could take them.

The anger reminded her once again of the phantom. She pushed her from her mind, though. _My anger, not hers,_ she reminded herself. That anger would come in hand if there was going to be a fight. She crept to the side of the hall, hearing the muffled echoes of the conversation through one of the doors. Hesitantly, she slipped through it, another pristine white corridor leading to a single door just a few yards away. _Close quarters,_ she noted. Ends of the Earth dismissed itself, Stormfall replacing it. A smaller Keyblade was better suited for this kind of environment. She edged forward, stopping just short of the door.

“-solutey ridiculous. All that trouble for an ordinary box with an ordinary heart in it. A complete waste of time.”

The voice came from the other side of the door. Heart pounding, Aqua flattened herself against the wall next to the it, ears nearly reaching off her skin to understand the voice. Whoever this was, he was in a foul mood – his voice was ornery, irritated. Yet, oddly, it was also slick, suspicious. Quickly, her mind began sketching out possibilities. Who else had found their way into this castle? It couldn’t be Xehanort – this wasn’t his voice. Who else even knew the castle was here?

“A necessary errand.” Another voice, smoother, lower, its cadence more measured. It was cold. _He’s not working alone._ She expected as much. She didn’t recognize this voice either, however. “We cannot give him any reason to doubt our loyalty, after all.”

“Of course not!” He was annoyed at that, too. _He must always be annoyed,_ she realized. His voice was quick to anger. “We follow his commands exactly, as we are meant to. That’s the exchange. Yet he should know that my talents lie in the lab and not the field.”

“As you’ve demonstrated.” Aqua wondered if the irritated man could sense the hint of amusement in this other voice. It was soft, hidden between the steady tempo of his delivery, but she could hear it flicker. He was…he was _delighting_ in irritating the other? “You’ve been quite successful in those endeavors, of course. So successful that you managed to talk yourself out of a place among the chosen.”

“And relive my glorious career in battle?” He laughed mockingly. “I have no desire to face Axel – or Lea, whatever that _imbecile_ is calling himself these days – on the battlefield again.” He scoffed. “Ironic, though, that the one who has provided so much for his plan will miss out on the last battle. Such is the way of a man of science.”

“We’re not men,” came the curt reply.

After a few moments of silence: “No, I suppose we’re not,” he acknowledged quietly.

“Personally, I would be insulted.” A new voice – another man, bringing the number to three. His voice was sophisticated, suave, verging on arrogant. Unfamiliar as well. Aqua’s eyes narrowed. Who were these men? “Better to bet on poor odds than not play at all. It’s the player who sits out the most rounds who draws the most attention. And, last I checked, _friend,_ it was I who ended up nearly drowning in the ocean in our quest for the box.”

“Because you fell!”

“I was _pushed,_ ” he corrected. “Though I do thank you for fishing me out of the water.”

“I would _never_ dare to harm one of the _chosen._ ”

“Your words honor me, Vexen.”

“Luxord,” the steady voice stated, interrupting them. They silenced immediately. _He has authority._ “Did you speak with Lea?”

Silence followed again. Aqua heard a faint huff, certain that it came from the irritated man – Vexen, apparently - clearly annoyed that he was ignored. Now, at least, she knew two of their names, though she didn’t recognize either. And, this was now the second time they had mentioned this Lea person – or maybe it was Axel? She didn’t know anyone by either name, but he was obviously of significance to them.

“Ah,” Luxord breathed, finally. “So, the rumors were true. You still care about your friend.”

“I only wish to hear your report, so that I can offer my advice.” If Luxord had phased him, Aqua couldn’t hear it in his voice. Everything he had said so far had been measured, carefully cultivated to avoid letting others in on his feelings. It unnerved her. _He’s dangerous._

“I think I’d rather play my cards close.”

One of them chuckled – the steady-voiced man again. It was a dull sound, emotionless despite what it imitated. “I see. You’re… _wagering_ a bet of your own.”

None of them lost the mocking nature of the comment. “We can trust Luxord!” Vexen quickly explained. “He and I discussed matters.”

“Trust?” He asked, bemused. “So you vouch for him?”

Vexen sputtered. “I – Well – You see-”

“Might be a bit late to doubt it now, mate,” Luxord observed, cutting Vexen off. “Seeing as I’ve seen what I’ve seen. Last I checked, we all serve the same master.”

“You would accuse of us treason?” the steady-voiced man observed, voice unflinching.

“You said it, not me.”

“Hmm.” Silence followed. “Perhaps I should make my motivations more clear.”

“It would certainly be a refreshing change of pace,” Luxord replied dryly.

“Then allow me to refresh you.” She could hear footsteps. “Xemnas will want a report. When you tell him that Lea has suddenly taken his place at Sora’s side, what do you think his reasonable conclusion will be?”

_Sora._

Aqua clenched her teeth at his name. Everything now became crystal clear. Whoever these men were, they were working for Xehanort. But…one of them had mentioned treason. And the way they talked – it was like they were being monitored. Which, in fairness, they were. _Like they’re speaking in riddles._ This Lea – whoever he was – had to be an ally of Sora’s. Xemnas had to be their leader.

 _This is dangerous,_ she realized. If these three were Xehanort’s minions, they had to be strong. Fighting three of them at once in close combat might be too much. Terra had always shown her up at close distance. He had helped her improve on that in the weeks leading up to their Mark of Mastery. Only one door stood between them and discovering the eavesdropper. She had to move.

“They’re trying to awaken Roxas?!” This was not Luxord but the other man, Vexen. He was incredulous. Aqua, too, was shocked to hear the familiar name but suddenly happy she had remained. The information was too valuable. She slowed her breathing, afraid of covering their muffled voices.

“Yes, this seems to be their chosen path.” Vexen was about to speak again, but he cut him off. “Somehow, they must have a way of awakening his heart. In which case-”

“Despite your _astounding_ faith in my capacities, I can draw my own conclusions,” Luxord replied. “I understand what it is you want from me. The only question is how many details you suggest I conveniently forget to mention.”

“On the contrary. I want you to mention every detail. Each mundane sight. Ensure that Xemnas hears every last word.”

Another laugh, this time from Luxord. “I see. You wish to invest in the long game.”

“Not just wish. I’ve been playing it for quite some time.”

“So I’ve seen.” Her eyes went wide. They were skirting around the edges of their true meaning. She could recognize the code easily enough. If she could…but Xehanort wasn’t here. Hesitantly, she lowered Stormfall, suddenly doubting her earlier conclusion. “For a man with no heart, he takes Axel’s betrayal rather personally. Quite a risk to think he would act so emotionally.”

“A risk that interests you, of course. Naturally, Xemnas will need to alert the others to the potential threat of Roxas. He is…” He hummed, a smirk in his voice. “Formidable.” _He is,_ she agreed silently. “But, should the Guardians succeed in awakening Roxas and locating the two lost masters, we will find ourselves facing a much more capable enemy. Understanding this threat, Xemnas will move to stop it.”

“A move that would take significant time,” Vexen added.

Silence fell again. Aqua stayed, ready for more details. _I can help Roxas if they keep talking._ The steady-voiced man finally broke the silence. “Of course…this all rests on our _trust._ ” He laughed again, cold and empty. “Vexen may be satisfied, but his motivations I understand. Yours, however, continue to evade me.”

“And, _friend,_ what exactly are _your_ motivations?” Luxord demanded, his voice growing impatient with the games.

Another pause.

“Is there any possibility that you two can do this elsewhere so that I can _focus?_ ” Vexen grumbled.  
“I…” The steady-voiced man paused, choosing his words. All this time, each of his statements had been measured, guarded, his emotions kept on a tight leash. Was it really possible that Xehanort was listening in on this conversation? Would he pick up on its true meaning as she had?

“I wish to do what my heart tells me is right.”

“Don’t we all?” Luxord replied, a smirk evident in his voice. “Rather difficult to do when it sends us so many messages. It was easier before, when we thought we didn’t have them?” If he expected a response, none came. She could hear him sigh.

“I’m still waiting on an answer.”

“You increase the odds of winning when you bet on every horse,” Luxord answered at last. “My money is still with Lord Xemnas. But a few coins spread here and there don’t draw the attention when most of the gold sits in the pot.”

“And what exactly do you expect the payment to be?”

“Whatever it is, I trust it’ll be worth it,” Luxord answered. “Saïx. Vexen.”

Footsteps. _He’s heading for the door. Shit. Shit shit shit!_ She needed to run, but she wouldn’t make it in time! She froze, readying an attack, unsure if she could take three men at once. The door next to her swung open and he walked out. Like Roxas and Xion, he wore one of the black coats, the hood pulled back to reveal cropped blonde hair and a goatee, gold eyes, and a pierced ear. He closed the door behind him, about to continue walking forward when he caught her in the corner of his eye.

He turned to look at her. She held Stormfall at her side. Silence passed between the two, neither ready to make a move. Then, slowly, he raised a finger to his lips, smirking. The other hand raised, summoning a corridor of darkness a few feet away. “Our secret,” he whispered jokingly. He left through the corridor, content to let the cards fall where they might.

 _I need to go!_ She was dangerously close to being caught – probably had been caught. But the other two started talking again, and against her better wishes, Aqua found herself continuing to eavesdrop.

“It is ironic, though,” Saïx admitted.

“What is?”

“Your research has done much for the cause. Both his and ours. Because of you, he can proceed with his plan. You have provided him with the necessary vessels. Including the final one.”

“Yes, provided I can get it to work. This heart the young one gave me is still in its infancy. It’s unlikely to have much of a personality once it comes to life.”

“ _She’s_ not an it.” Another curt reply, masking irritation.

“Yes, _it_ is,” the scientist shot back. “It is barely two weeks old. He took it from before a personality had formed. It was an empty puppet then, which makes it perfect for his plans.” He paused. “I seem to recall you sharing the same opinion of No. i as I. Why the sudden change?”

“I’m sure you can guess.”

He laughed. “Yes, of course I can. Why would I expect you to ever admit your feelings?” Saïx didn’t respond. “Rest assured it – _she,_ ” he corrected mockingly “will be just as it was in my original designs. This time, however, the replica will be stable. All that’s left is to put the heart he gave us into the body.”

“Will we remember?”

Vexen laughed again. “My memories of her don’t go far beyond my notes. You’ll recall that I was _murdered_ shortly after creating her.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Patience, Saïx,” he teased.

“Vexen,” Saïx warned. “Please do not play at being my friend. You and I were never close, hearts or not. I would prefer that our relationship remains that way.”

“ _That_ sounds more familiar,” Vexen replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm. “Trust me, I have a perfect understanding of our relationship. To answer your question,” he added, the words hurried. _Saïx must not be happy_. “No, we won’t remember her. In her heart’s current form, we had no concept of Xion as a person.”

Aqua had been moments away from tearing herself away from the door, but another familiar name kept her glued to it. She was growing anxious. Hearing this conversation was like reading a book with every other chapter missing. She had gotten close with Luxord – in all likelihood, he had already sent somebody after her. She had no reason to trust him. It was safer to move – she knew what she needed to know. The castle had no more secrets left to offer her.

“Thus, our hopes rest with Sora,” Vexen continued.

“And the other?” Saïx asked. Aqua’s ears perked up. _Another?_ She had managed to step away from the door, but she found herself still listening. Was this another – what did he call it? A replica? Something about hearts – _They’re building bodies?_

“I have tried to structure him as well as I can from the data,” Vexen replied as Aqua’s thoughts spun. _They’re…they’re making people?!_ “Here, however, we are missing his heart. We can attempt to take him to Radiant Garden now and allow Ienzo and the others a chance at reconstructing it, but the safer path-”

“Would be to bring him to Sora. I agree.” He paused. “The time is at hand for us to make a move.”

“Yes. Do you still wish for me to contact Demyx?”

“Not quite yet. There is another errand I would have you run. But first…”

The door swung open. Aqua gasped, bouncing back, brandishing Stormfall. A blue-haired man with pointed ears and yellow eyes stood in the frame. Between his eyes, a large X had been scarred into the skin. He smirked at her, his Claymore hanging loosely from his right hand.

“We need to have a chat with our guest.”

…

“Hi there,” Vanitas said. “You look like shit.”

She scowled. He laughed at her in response. Aqua’s hate for this punk was bubbling in her, and his jeers were only encouraging it. “What the fuck do you want?” she threw out, Mickey’s Keyblade at her side.

“Hey! No need for _that_ tone!” He held up his hands in faux shock, making sure she could see Void Gear in one of them. “I just wanted to say hi to my dear old friend.”

“We’re not friends,” the phantom retorted. _God_ did he irritate her! She didn’t care whether the irritation was actually hers. The phantom scowled, fighting the urge to smash his helmet into a million pieces. “And sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not her.”

“No shit, Sherlock. You think I didn’t figure that out? You smell different.”

“ _You_ smell like a sewer. What, did you finally decide to stop eating shit and just shower in it instead?” She rolled her eyes. “Put that shit away,” she added, dismissing the Keyblade. “I’m not in the mood.” That was a lie of course. The phantom wanted nothing more than to rip his head off. However, she was still recovering from her fight with Riku. It wasn’t wise to pick another fight, no matter how much she wanted to end him.

“You sure about that?” he asked snidely, gesturing behind him. “Did the troll under the bridge not let you cross?”

She ignored him, striding back to the center of the beach. As she did so, the phantom made sure to knock into his shoulder with more force than necessary. She strode about ten feet away before realizing that, for all her anger toward Aqua, she had no idea how to find her. In the Realm of Darkness, she had simply faded in and out of the shadows, tied to Aqua’s existence. No such technique existed here. She was stranded in the Realm of Light. _Shit._ How the tables had turned.

Her step stuttered, but the phantom was nothing if not a committed actor. Without missing a beat, she continued walking, keeping her furious pace. “Why are you here?” she called back, hoping he would take the bait.

“Master’s orders.”

The phantom laughed. “Still listening to daddy?”

“Fuck off.”

“Gladly.” She stopped, turning to look and rolling her eyes again as she registered the coat. “Oh, cause the helmet wasn’t enough?” she mocked.

“You’re one to talk. _Love_ what you’ve done with your hair,” he replied sarcastically. “Really sells the whole ‘I’m evil’ thing.” He sighed dramatically, raising his hands behind his head. Void Gear had disappeared; she smirked, pleased that he had listened to her. Until – “Do you even know where you’re going?”

She snarled. He knew. Vanitas laughed, closing the distance between them. “Poor little Aqua, no idea where to go,” he said in a mocking sing-song voice. He paused suddenly, raising a hand to where his chin must be. “Oh, sorry, is it Aqua? Not sure what to call you. I’m thinking Karen.”

“Tell me, when you were made, was there a sign around your neck saying ‘Call me Jackass McGee’ or did people just know?” the phantom snapped. Vanitas laughed, enjoying her frustration. “Are you getting off on this?”

“Somebody has to.”

The phantom’s long, sharp fingernails dug into her palms. She ground her teeth together, a low growl escaping them. _God, I want to kill him._ She couldn’t, though. Right now, Vanitas was her best chance of finding a way off the island. She calmed herself, imagining what it would feel like when she was finally free of these annoyances. It calmed her, momentarily, until Ven’s face swam in front of her vision again. She scowled. _Ridiculous._

“Yoohoo. You still there?” Vanitas waved a hand in front of her face. She glared at him, resisting the urge to rip it off his arm. “ _Jeez,_ you’re a pill. And I thought Larxene was bad.”  
“Who the fuck is that?”

“A coworker. You’d hate her.” He laughed. The phantom flinched, forcing herself to stay grounded and not run her blade through him. Her resistance was crumbling quickly, though. She was already picturing what he would look like missing a few limbs. “So, what’s the deal anyway? Did you kill her, or-”

“Sadly,” the phantom responded through gritted teeth, “I didn’t. But I’m going to.”

“Ah.” Vanitas sighed, dramatically. “That would be great. Full support here. But, I can’t let you do that.”

 _He’s making it very difficult for me to not kick his ass,_ she thought. “Why not?”

“We need her.”

“Who’s we? You and the Heartless B-Team?”

The Flood skittered back into view suddenly. Both the phantom and Vanitas scowled at it, simultaneously summoning their Keyblades. Weak bolts of lightning hit inches away from the Flood. It yelped, a high-pitched noise emitting from it as it scurried back to the shadows. The two dismissed their weapons. They caught each other’s eyes for a moment, sharing a knowing smirk. Her expression soured as she remembered what was happening.

Vanitas laughed again. “Where’d you get the Keyblade?” he asked.

The phantom’s lips curled upward. Every time she thought about this, it filled her with a strange high. _God, it’s so satisfying._ It was enough to distract her irritation, at least for a moment. “I got it from Mickey.” That seemed to surprise Vanitas. She watched his shoulders rise briefly, learning to read his body even if she couldn’t see his face.

“What happened to him?”

“I did what you couldn’t and killed the King,” she gloated.

“Bullshit.”

She shrugged. “Fine. Locked him in hell for all of eternity. Take your pick.”

“Shit.” Vanitas looked away momentarily, his fists clenched. The phantom narrowed her eyes. He looked back at her. “He’s not going to be happy about that.”

“Ahhhhh,” she breathed, grinning wickedly. She understood now. “Xehanort needs him. And Aqua, too.”

“You’ve really fucked things up for me, you know that?” Vanitas shot, suddenly. “Now I have to be the one to tell him we’re down a Guardian of Light.”

“Two, actually,” she replied, still grinning. “Whatshisname is down there, too. Riku, isn’t it?”

“Shit!” He kicked at the sand.

“Hey! Good news,” she taunted. “Aqua’s back in your glorious Realm of Light. I’m guessing that’s why you don’t want me to kill her, right?” _Oh, this is great!_ She cackled, ecstatic at how the situation had reversed. “Silver linings, sweetie.”

“Shut the fuck up.” He stormed away for a moment. The phantom cocked an eyebrow, counting down from five. As she expected, he turned back toward her when she got to one. “Where is she?”

“Who?” she deadpanned. He snarled, Void Gear back in his hands. She pursed her lips, cocking an eyebrow. “I have an idea,” she offered.

“Spit it out.”

“No.”

He slashed at her, but she was expecting it. Effortlessly, she blocked the attack, rolling her eyes. “If you’re going to attack me, at least _try,_ ” she taunted as they pressed their weapons against each other. It was dangerous to taunt him, but it would be satisfying to beat on him for just a bit. Luckily, he backed off, swearing. Void Gear disappeared; similarly, she dismissed Mickey’s Keyblade. They locked eyes – or, rather, she stared at the helmet intensely.

“You’re still stuck here,” he observed, voice venomous.

“Hmm.” He was right, unfortunately. That soured her sudden good mood again. “So, what’s the big plan, anyway? Get all the heroes together and murder them?”

“More or less.”

“And I’m guessing the gathering is the key part here?” she questioned. He responded by crossing his arms. The phantom rolled her eyes again, clicking her tongue. As much fun as it was taunting Vanitas, nothing had changed about her situation. She still needed him to tell her how to get off that island. Unfortunately, she could see that information had a price. “ _Fantastic_ conversation we’re having,” she observed. “Look, just let me kill Aqua. The old man’s gotta have a back-up plan, right? She’s stronger now, anyway, I’m doing your group a favor.”

“Where is she?” he asked. “You know, don’t you?”

“I have a hunch,” she replied dryly.

“I could beat it out of you,” he offered, his voice only half-threatening. He clearly understood the situation, too. She could piece it together easily enough. She had the information he wanted, and she needed the information he had. Unpleasantly, she had an inkling that they were about to be stuck working together. On the bright side…she smirked. It would annoy Aqua, and that was good enough for her.

“More trouble than it’s worth,” she answered, shrugging. “What are you doing here? _Specifically,_ ” she added. “I know Xehanort sent you.”

He examined her, debating if he should give up the information. “What are you, anyway? You’re not Aqua, but you look like her, have her memories.” She nodded curtly, willing to divulge that even if his redirect irritated her. “Are you her Nobody?”

 _Huh?_ “What the fuck is that?”

He ignored the question, silent as he examined her. He raised a hand to the helmet’s chin strap, lost in thought. “Are you like me?”

“God, I hope not,” she spat. He sighed, shaking his head. “Oh, get over yourself.”

“Can we hurry this up? He’s gonna be expecting me.”

She scowled. “Fine. Whatever. I tell you, you tell me?” His turn to offer a nod. “I’m Aqua’s darkness. _Not_ like you,” she added. Although, as she said the words, part of her doubted their truth. She ignored that doubt. “I haunted her in the Realm of Darkness. Literally. I was a ghost. Basically a Heartless. But then…I don’t know, something happened involving a Princess.”

“A Princess of Heart?” he asked. “We had an issue with one falling to darkness. He wasn’t happy about that, either.”

“Sure, whatever.” She scanned her nails flippantly. “Anyway. Something about it changed me. I think. And now…” Hesitantly, she placed a hand over her chest. Sure enough, it was still there, beating against the cage of her chest. She scowled at the foul organ. “I ended up becoming a person.”

Silence feel between the two. Vanitas was the one to break it.

“That’s batshit insane.”

“Oh, cause you’re one to judge.”

“You’re hilarious.”

“Shut up.” She glared at him. “You still owe me an answer.”

He pressed a hand against the chin strap of his helmet. “I’m waiting for Sora,” he admitted.

“Ugh.” Her eyes were exhausted from how frequently she had rolled them. “Seriously? Why is everyone obsessed with that twerp?”

“Master’s orders,” he repeated. “If he shows up here, I’m supposed to tell the higher-ups.”

“Why?” She cocked her head. “I get that this is where the kid’s from. But what’s so special about this place?” Vanitas glanced at her, then, deadpanning, gestured to the blocked off entrance to the Secret Place. She smirked. _That’s fair. I should’ve figured that one out._ “You’re waiting for him to go rescue Aqua.”

“It’s all part of the plan,” Vanitas agreed. “Whatever that might be.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got your own reasons?”

Vanitas crossed his arms again. “Sora’s housing my heart. My _brother’s_ heart,” he corrected at the bewilderment on her face. “Ven’s heart. I want what’s mine.”

“You’re waiting to kill him,” she concluded. “Yet you won’t let me kill Aqua.”

“No,” Vanitas replied. “Unfortunately, we need them alive. I want Ven back, so that I can take my body back. My _real_ body, not this sad excuse for one. I can’t kill Sora, not when Xehanort says I can’t. But he didn’t say anything about turning him into a Heartless.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’d lose his heart.”

“But not the body. And when Sora becomes a Heartless, his Nobody looks just like Ven.” He paused, waiting for her response to his grand plan.

She looked him dead in the vizor. “You got that I have no clue what a Nobody is, right?”

“Oh, fuck off.”

The phantom smirked. “You said Xehanort won’t let you kill him. Why’s that?”

A beat of silence passed between them. Then, the mask on the helmet retracted, and Vanitas’s gold eyes met hers. She smirked. _Another twin._ “Xehanort’s got a hold on my heart,” he answered. “I can’t disobey him. He’d know.”

The phantom nodded. It made sense. She looked back at the ocean, watching the waves roll in to the shore. Inconspicuously, she glanced at Vanitas out of the corner of her eye. Unbidden, Ven’s face swam before her vision again. Her heart ached at the thought of the boy, the emptiness panging within her again. Her heart had ached every time Vanitas said his name. _I can’t go on like this,_ she thought. Vanitas might not want her to kill Aqua, but she could slip past him. She needed to end her. Anything to get these awful emotions out of her, to cease this endless stream of memories. That bitch’s love for that blonde child was destroying her. If only Ven were dead –

Her lips curled upward.

The phantom had an idea. A very, very wicked idea.

“You want to know where Aqua is,” the phantom stated, not yet glancing at Vanitas.

“Obviously.”

“And,” she added, ignoring him, “You want Ven’s body. You don’t _need_ his heart.”

“Maybe.” He caught the tone in her voice. She heard his coat shift as he moved closer. “I’m listening. What do you have in mind?”

“I am…” She paused. “ _Willing._ To wait to kill Aqua. But she’s mine. I’m the only one who gets to kill her. Is daddy okay with that?”

“Cut the shit and get to the point.”

She scoffed. “And we were having so much fun.” She shook her head, a Keyblade appearing in her hands. “In exchange, you show me how to get off this world. I tell you where Aqua is, so you all can do…I don’t know, whatever it is you need to do to get your plan in motion. Doesn’t matter to me so long as I get to kill her.”

“That’s…reasonable. Where is she?”

“Soon,” she teased.. “You’ll have to take me there. Can’t have you stabbing me in the back.”

For a moment, her eyes studied the Keyblade in her hands. It wasn’t Mickey’s. This weapon was much starker, a steely hilt and a long black blade. The teeth resembled an E too closely for her liking. If Mickey’s Keyblade didn’t like her, Master’s Defender loathed her. It resisted her grasp even now, but she refused to let it leave her grasp. It had just been lying here on the beach when she had emerged from the Realm of Darkness, a fruit ripe for the picking. Another act of karmic justice in her favor.

“I _will_ need another favor, though,” she added, turning to face Vanitas and showing him the Keyblade. Maybe she would get some use out of him after all. “But this one I think you’ll like.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much - I'm blown away by the support I've been receiving in the past week on this fic! It has over 1000 hits and we hit 80 kudos, which means the world to me. I promise I'm going to respond to comments - I've had a busy week with work and most of my spare time has gone to writing and editing the next two chapters. Thank you for reading again!


	11. The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua and Saïx come to an understanding.

His eyes unnerved her the most. He examined her like she was a specimen under his microscope. Xehanort’s eyes – his eyes, yet also, somehow, Xehanort’s – seemingly cut into her essence. His face was blank, body unmoving, but his eyes continued to peer at her. The gaze was so intense. Could he tell who she was underneath the armor? Whatever questions Aqua held about his alignment disappeared as he watched her with those eyes. Those eyes were evil. There was no question. He was with Xehanort.

Had Xehanort told Saïx and Vexen about her? She had never met Saïx before, and though she couldn’t yet see Vexen, she doubted they had, either. Shocked, she realized Stormfall was still in her hands. It was a dead giveaway to who she was! As if reading her mind, Saïx glanced at the Keyblade. His expression remained blank, however. If he recognized the Keyblade, he didn’t show it. Luckily, the vizor gave her the same privilege.

Unwillingly, she looked at his eyes again. _Can he possess them?_ she wondered. The phantom’s eyes had been different – similar in color, but they had been Aqua’s eyes, not Xehanort’s. She would recognize these horrendous orbs anywhere. Had when she encountered that demon down in the Realm of Darkness on the beach. That fight felt years away now.

Tense silence passed as the two stared each other down. In the background, Aqua heard the humming of machines – computers, maybe, like the ones on that spaceship? There was something else, too. A rapid series of clicking noises. _Vexen,_ she realized. He must be working at a computer. She couldn’t see him with Saïx blocking the doorway. _At least now there’s only two._ She readied herself. _I’m going to have to make the first move._

“Would you like to come in?”

Saïx had broken their silence. His voice was still that same cold cadence, devoid of expression. Just like his face. Just like his eyes. Whether the words had been an invitation or a threat Aqua couldn’t tell. She grimaced, debating her answer. Saïx continued to examine her, apparently happy to wait. _If I speak it gives away my cover,_ she realized. _And if I say no…_

Hesitantly, she nodded, armor creaking.

“Then come in.”

Saïx turned, gesturing behind him. Aqua kept her eyes trained on him. Slowly, she moved forward, head turned to meet his gaze as she entered the room. The second she crossed the threshold, Saïx closed the door behind her.

_Only one exit._ The sole door clicked shut. Saïx walked in front of her, gesturing to two uncomfortable looking steel chairs at the right of the room. Aqua moved toward the chairs while covertly scanning the room. Somebody – Vexen, perhaps – had converted the room into a makeshift laboratory. Machines and computers lined the walls, but not in a way that made any obvious sense to Aqua. Notebooks and files were scattered haphazardly around the lab, nearly every surface covered by them. Still, the signature white of Castle Oblivion peeked through the clutter, a reminder of where they were.

_I’ll take it over the hallway._ If a fight broke out – and Aqua wasn’t sure if the question was if or when – this room would at least offer her some flexibility. Not much, but she could use the surroundings to her advantage. Then again…so could they. She stopped by the chair, sharing an uneasy glance with Saïx. Another détente; neither seemed willing to sit first.

“That _can’t_ be right!”

Vexen sat in front of a massive computer screen on the opposite side of the room, his back turned to them. His blonde hair appeared greasy and unwashed, clearly in need of treatment as opposed to Saïx’s more meticulously maintained appearance. Whether or not he had acknowledged the presence of this armored stranger Aqua didn’t know. His fingers momentarily paused their dance over the keyboard as he mumbled a few unintelligible words to himself. “Ah, of course, you _fool,_ ” he finally muttered. As he typed, the machines set off a series of rapid beeps but calmed quickly, apparently satisfied.

“Pay no attention to him,” Saïx instructed. Vexen scoffed at the words but otherwise didn’t acknowledge the new presence. Instead, he returned to his work.

His work…Uncomfortably, Aqua’s eyes fell on the two examination tables in the center of the room. _The replicas._ Two cloaked figures were hooked up to what seemed to be medical equipment, which themselves were connected to the machines lining the wall. Mentally, she made a note to avoid the area behind the tables. A jumbled mess of cords ran through there, enough to tangle her feet and trip her up in a battle. She couldn’t make out the faces of either of the replicas as the hoods of the cloaks covered them. They were, however, the same cloaks Saïx and Vexen wore. The same ones that Roxas and Xion wore.

_They’re making people._ Or, rather…she glanced at Vexen again. The man was working manically. His odor suggested he needed a shower. And his tone…She’d read horror stories about mad scientists in her youth. Yet she never thought she would end up meeting one. And these bodies…Again, she was reminded of Roxas and Xion.

_…Are they?_

“I suppose that I’ll sit down.”

Aqua returned her attention to the blue-haired man as he sat, crossing one leg over the other and resting his hands on his knee. Somehow, the massive Claymore still hung loosely from his fingertips. He seemed rather calm, as if he had been expecting Aqua this entire time. _Shit. He might._ She had thought Castle Oblivion would be impenetrable, but these men had clearly been here a long time, at least long enough to have a messy lab set up this deep into the castle.

_He asked about the Chamber of Waking,_ she remembered. Uncertain, she, too, took her seat, Stormfall more prominently displayed and more tightly held. Saïx made no expression as she did so. _When I saw Terra in the Realm of Darkness…he must have already found out about this place._ But…he couldn’t have found Ven.

Could he?

“So.” Saïx gazed at her again. Aqua felt like she, too, had been strapped to an examination table. “Should I ask who you are?”

She returned the gaze. Slowly, she shook her head.

“It would save us all time if you told me,” he replied, voice still the same steady cadence. “As I’m sure you heard, Vexen and I are on a schedule. But…” he laughed. “I do suppose I’ve already figured it out. You have a Keyblade,” he observed with a nonchalant gesture. “And, curiously, you also wear armor. Quite obviously, you are neither Sora, Riku, or King Mickey. I’m quite certain you’re not one of the two new wielders either. Very certain on one of them, actually.” He smirked suddenly, shocking Aqua with the expression. “Wouldn’t you agree, Vexen?”

“I’m working.”

_He’s toying with me._

“Which means…” he stroked his chin thoughtfully, mocking her. Her grasp tightened as her teeth grit in anger. “You’re one of the three missing wielders. Now, we know you’re not Terra, of course. And if Sora had succeeded in waking Ventus, I’m very sure we would have been notified. So…”

She had no choice. Aqua pressed a hand to the armor. It faded away, leaving her staring bitterly at Saïx, her blue eyes glaring at his golden ones. He raised an eyebrow slightly, but otherwise, didn’t shift his expression. _He knew it the second he saw me._

“Did Luxord tell you?” she asked dully.

“No,” Saïx replied calmly. “As I’m sure you heard, he is…playing his own game.”

“He’s ridiculous,” Vexen shot from the computer, still turned away from them. The typing continued now, a near constant sound alongside the hum of the machines.

Saïx ignored him, still examining her. “It doesn’t matter all that much,” he commented. “I’m far more interested in how the lost Keyblade Master found her way back to the Realm of Light. Why are you here?”

No way in hell was she telling him about Ven. But… _Shit._ Her second choice was to tell Saïx that this was her home, but if she did that, she’d be giving away another secret. She kept her expression blank, imitating him as her mind calculated. He seemed fine to allow her the time to think, his eyes somehow not blinking as he calmly waited. How she wished that Master Eraqus had taught her to lie.

At least she had a model in the Phantom.

“This was where the door led,” she answered, voice unflinching.

“The door?” Saïx mused.

“Out of the Realm of Darkness,” she clarified. _Does he buy it?_ She waited, keeping her pulse steady and her mind blank. Part of her wanted to offer another explanation, but if she did, he would see through her right away.

“She’s certainly not the first,” Vexen observed.

Saïx closed his eyes at that, considering the words. _He believes it?_ Her heart raced quickly at the success, but she calmed herself. “Yes, I suppose you have a point.” He opened his eyes again, glancing at her. He nodded as if to say _your turn._

_That’s how we’re playing this?_ She thought, understanding how the game worked. Mulling over the question, she glanced around the room again. _He doesn’t want to fight me. At least, not yet._ He probably could. _Shit. He might be playing me._ He was offering her information in exchange for hers. Then again, she was playing him, too. She’d already lied once, and she had no reason to believe anything he said. But…no, the part about him being on a time schedule was true. And an advantage.

She steeled herself. These mind games were uncharted territory for her, but she was a quick learner. Unfortunately, she had a sinking feeling that she was up against a game master.

“Who’s Lea?” she asked.

Whatever he had been expecting, this wasn’t it. For a split-second, surprise flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared. She had cracked his armor, however. More importantly, she had cost him time to calculate a response. It hadn’t been the question she had wanted to ask, but she would have to delay gratification for now. After all, she was used to the waiting.

Finally, he answered, “An old friend.”

“Who works with Sora?” she clarified. She cocked an eyebrow of her own; he had gotten to ask a follow-up, so why not her?

He conceded it. “Yes. I suppose they are allies.”

“But not with you?”

“You heard most of our conversation, I assume,” Saïx stated, ignoring the question as if she had never asked it. Ever so slightly, his voice had lowered. He wasn’t toying with her anymore. “Yet of the names mentioned, you chose Lea’s. And you clearly know Sora, though you clearly have yet to see him since returning to the Realm of Light.”

“Are you sure of that?” she asked. “You were the ones who said Lea was working with him.”

“Then why clarify?” he responded calmly. Her stomach twisted. She’d gotten overconfident. He smirked again, catching her ploy. “I had thought that perhaps you would ask about our operation. I’m certain you will, at some point. But if we’re discussing names, then how do you know Roxas and Xion?”

She hid the shock that coursed through her. “What makes you think I do?”

“Because you did not ask about them even though they made up a significant portion of our conversation,” he replied. “And because you are not as good of a liar as you think.”

_Shit._ She narrowed her eyes, choosing not to respond.

His smirk grew wider. Somehow, it made his face more frightening. “If what Xehanort has told us about you is true, you were supposed to be in the Realm of Darkness for the past decade. You _are_ supposed to be there, in fact. Yet, somehow, you know Roxas, who to my knowledge never ventured through that Realm. Even more than that, you know Xion, a person who exists in reports but not in any living person’s memories. Even the two people involved in her creation do not remember her. Yet _you_ do. Why is that?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she retorted.

He opened his mouth, about to answer, but he closed it again, his lips disappearing into a thin line. This was the truth, after all. How else was she going to explain her conversations with Roxas and Xion in her heart? He considered a reply for several moments, then, “Try me.”

She sped through the explanation, hoping he would mishear it. “During my time in the Realm of Darkness, I fell into my heart. There, I came into contact with Sora’s heart, and through that, contacted Roxas and Xion.”

Saïx studied her. “Roxas we knew of course,” he said, though more to himself than to her. She blinked; the information seemed to make sense to him. “But it appears Xion’s heart has maintained itself within Sora as well.”

“Curious. Wasn’t she designed to drain his memories?” Vexen asked. “You would think her heart in such a close proximity to Roxas’s and Sora’s would cause more harm than good.”

“A question you can consider at a later date,” Saïx replied dryly. He glanced at Aqua again, moving his head ever so slightly. _My turn,_ Aqua realized.

Rather obviously, she was still going to dance around the information she had already discovered. Instead, Aqua asked, “What does Xehanort want?”

“That…is a rather general question,” the blue-haired man replied. Vexen laughed from where he sat but otherwise continued furiously hammering at the keyboard.

“He wants Kingdom Hearts,” Aqua clarified. Saïx offered another curt nod but otherwise didn’t respond. “He needs the X-Blade to get it. What’s his plan?”

“You were there the last time,” Saïx observed. She nodded in response. “Apparently…” he smirked again, not at her this time. “It broke into 20 pieces in the last clash. 13 of darkness, 7 of light. To make it again, he needs 13 seekers of darkness to fight against 7 guardians of light.”

“And you’re a seeker of darkness?” she asked pointedly.

He smiled wide, meeting her eyes. “Yes.”

Her grip on Stormfall tightened, her eyes narrowing. She couldn’t hold his gaze; his eyes still unnerved her. Instead, she focused on the scar just above his eyes. Tense silence passed between them, but neither moved to attack. _I’m a guardian of light,_ she figured. _Me, Sora, Riku, Mickey…_ Who else? _This Lea person,_ she realized. _And…_ Ven and Terra. But Saïx had also mentioned another wielder. Who could that be?

“They frighten you?”

The question surprised her. “What?”

“You keep glancing at them, but looking away,” Saïx observed, gesturing to the two replica bodies. Part of her wondered why he had chosen to ask about this, but another part of her felt shame at being caught. “You understand what they are?”

She nodded, biting her lip. “It…it seems wrong.”

“Wrong?” Vexen scoffed from the computer. “My dear-”

“Vexen,” Saïx interjected, cutting the man off yet again. He silenced, whispering something unintelligible under his breath. Saïx returned his unflinching gaze to Aqua. “Do you understand why they’re here?”

She waited, but she couldn’t put it off any longer. He had baited her into asking the question. “No. What are you doing with them?”

Faintly, Saïx’s lips curled into a small smile. “Vexen can explain.”

The scientist was only too eager. At last, he spun around in his chair, his wide golden eyes bugging out of his head at the opportunity to finally speak without interruption. _His project,_ she realized suddenly. _His life’s work._ He met her eyes. She held his gaze with no issue.

“As Saïx noted, Master Xehanort requires thirteen seekers of darkness,” he began, words tumbling over themselves at the rapid speed of delivery. “The Master, in his wisdom, has chosen to place his will inside each of these seekers. So far, he has chosen twelve of his thirteen seekers of darkness. I was given the task of preparing the vessels for some of these chosen seekers, though I myself am not among them.”

“Why?”

“A previous attempt was made,” Vexen explained. “One that failed because the chosen vessels had far too much free will. This time, the Master has chosen only those he can trust. Himself.”

_That explains the eyes._ “But you’re not him,” she noted.

“We are and we are not,” Saïx commented.  
  
“Master Xehanort has summoned four versions of himself throughout time here,” Vexen acknowledged. “His younger self, his Heartless, his Nobody, and the version of himself possessing your companion.” Aqua’s knuckles went white from her grip, but she held herself in the chair. “Others are those who he _believes_ to be closely aligned with his cause-” he nodded to Saïx “-or whose wills are easily moldable to it.”

_It was an empty puppet._ She glanced at one of the replicas. _They were talking about Xion._ “Xion’s the thirteenth vessel,” she concluded aloud.

“Yes.”

To an untrained eye, it seemed as if Aqua simply rematerialized at the other end of the room, her Keyblade pressed at Vexen’s throat. She leapt out of the chair, clearing the two examination tables in one bound, grabbed Vexen by the cloak, and slammed him against the wall, Stormfall held against his throat. He struggled, gasping for air. Meanwhile, Saïx remained seated, a small amused smirk on his face.

Aqua snarled at Vexen as he squirmed under her blade. “No,” she stated. “You will not do that to her.”

“Let me go!” he shrieked, unable to escape.

“I dislike it, but I would agree with Vexen,” Saïx commented nonchalantly. “You need him as much as we do.”

“Do I?” Aqua asked, eyes narrowing.

“For Xion, yes,” Saïx said. “And Roxas.”

_Two replicas._

She kept her Keyblade against Vexen’s throat but lessened the hold ever so slightly. She turned her head to Saïx. Their eyes met, Saïx smirking again. His words ran through her memory again: _Bring him to Sora._ She looked at Vexen again.

_He’s…is he on my side?_

“You…” she muttered, the rest of the sentence unspoken in the air.

“Yes,” he acknowledged through gasps.

“Those are for Xion and Roxas?” Aqua clarified, nodding at the two bodies.

“Yes,” Vexen mumbled, still squirming.

Aqua looked at him again. _He said he wasn’t one of the chosen,_ she remembered. Xehanort hadn’t made him a vessel. _He’s not the one I should be fighting,_ she realized, loosening the hold of the Keyblade. Saïx was right. Vexen could help bring Xion and Roxas back to life. She needed Vexen.

She didn’t need Saïx.

His eyes followed as she raised Stormfall at him while Vexen gasped for air. “You’re with him,” she declared. “You said so. You’re a…a Seeker of Darkness.”

Saïx examined her coldly while Vexen sputtered for air. Aqua waited, her Keyblade still pointed at him. Their eyes met briefly, both aware that an attack was not coming, so long as Saïx remained silent. Neither had satisfied their curiosity quite yet. Nonetheless, Aqua needed to remind Saïx that she was as much a threat as he. And Saïx…

“I am,” he replied, finally. They continued to hold each other’s gaze. His eyes were still cold, unmoving, like steel. Yet…for a fraction of a second, something crossed them. A flash of blue? As if…as if it were his own eyes breaking through the demon’s hold on his heart.

_He’s not the enemy,_ Aqua realized. They were certainly playing a game, but she had miscalculated who the opponent was. Now, if she misspoke, two players would end up dead. She hesitated, needing to measure her next words. Saïx waited, aware that she had caught on to the meaning of the secrecy. Stormfall, meanwhile, stayed pointed at the blue-haired man, a show put on for the watching audience.

“How does Xehanort create his vessels?” Aqua asked, voice low.

Ever so slightly, Saïx nodded, his lips a thin line. “The process is beyond my understanding,” he explained. “The Keyblade is integral to it, of course. The Master splits his heart. His chosen vessels must give their permission, though in the case of Xion…” he glanced at the lifeless body on the table but didn’t complete the thought. “The chosen take on traits of his appearance, of course. Certain parts of his emotions and desires manifest, as well. Perhaps most strikingly is the ability to sense when a vessel has chosen to stray from its chosen path. Though he cannot listen in to a conversation,” he clarified with another slight nod, “he can sense changes in our hearts. If, for example, a chosen vessel were to feel… _anger_ toward him, he could sense it.”

“And if a chosen vessel were to betray him…”

“He would know,” Saïx finished. “Unless, of course, the traitor hid their intentions quite well.” Vexen scoffed. Aqua glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Saïx raised an eyebrow as the scientist glowered at them. “As you know,” he continued, “Master Xehanort plans for everything. Trying to betray him is a fool’s errand. Even a mediocre attempt would require years of careful planning, of maneuvers, of sidling up to him, earning his trust. Finding scapegoats.” He smirked, glancing at Vexen again. “Making it so that he would loosen the leash around you just enough.”

His eyes found Aqua’s again. They still unnerved her, but, at the corners, she could sense the man’s humanity desperately trying to break through Xehanort’s hold on his soul. “And is the leash loose?” she asked.

Saïx’s lips curled. “It is. Not enough for an outright betrayal, but enough for another maneuver to be made.”

“One that would involve…” Wordlessly, they both glanced at the lifeless bodies. Vexen had returned to his computer now; the typing had resumed as the man muttered unintelligibly under his breath. Aqua’s eyes remained on the two for several seconds before she finally turned back to Saïx. “Does he know I’m here?”

Saïx was silent for a few moments, a hand stroking his chin as he thought. “It’s a matter of time,” he replied. “If he were to find out that I encountered you…it would not be pleasant. Fortunately, we are under orders not to engage the guardians of light. Not until the fated time.”

At this, Aqua lowered the Keyblade. Her eyes, however, remained narrowed. “But I don’t walk out of here free.”

“No,” Saïx agreed. “I suppose we’ll have to make you our prisoner.”

As Aqua was about to respond, something shuffled behind them. There was a light groan, a few coughs, and then silence again. Hairs raised on the back of Aqua’s neck as a chill soared down her spine. Wishing against the motion, she turned and saw that one of the replicas had shifted a bit. Vexen, meanwhile, had stopped typing. Now, he stood over the replica, examining it while the machines beeped behind him. Aqua watched as he hovered over the body for several minutes.

Finally, the man stood. “She’s ready.”

“Then it’s time,” Saïx acknowledged. He stood now, dismissing the Claymore at last. “Vexen, I suppose I should entrust the care of our prisoner to you,” he added. Aqua’s eyes widened, but one glance from Saïx and she understood his intention. “I’m sure your journey to Radiant Garden will be dangerous. Be sure your defenses are ready.”

“Before that…”

“Yes?”

“You mentioned that an old friend of ours has also made his return,” Vexen answered. “I…” He glanced down, suddenly uncertain. The doubt faded quickly, but his face had darkened a bit. His voice, for the first time, sounded more humane and less mad. “I should like to see him.”

Saïx examined him for a moment. “A word of caution,” he said slowly.

“I know the risk,” Vexen retorted. “Let me take the fall. You said you never cared for me anyway.”

Saïx flinched; Aqua saw him nearly glance away. However, the mask was too strong still. He nodded in agreement but remained silent, instead turning back to Aqua.

“Can I trust you?” Aqua asked quietly.

Saïx smirked. “I don’t think you have a choice.” He sighed, placing a hand on the examination table on which Xion’s now resting body lay. “His Heartless watches over our friend,” Saïx added, looking at Vexen even though Aqua was certain the words were meant for her. “Should you fail, you know the consequences.”

“I’ll do my best,” Aqua muttered. “You’re taking her?”

He nodded. “It’s in our best interest for her and I to be far away from any…attempts. He is expecting us. It will distract him.” He let the words sit for a moment, then waved a hand. A corridor of darkness appeared at the end of the room, the shadowy path tingling with dark energy. “Vexen can guide you through,” Saïx explained. “I certainly hope you are as talented as I’ve heard.”

_Another fight._ Her other hand tingled; Ends of the Earth clearly wanted to make an appearance. She pressed a hand to the gauntlet on her arm, summoning Terra’s armor to protect her in the dark. “I hope you’re not lying to me.”

Saïx smirked. “I suppose you’ll have to find out.”

Vexen huffed, snapping his fingers. “I’m growing impatient,” he complained as several white figures manifested themselves in the room. Aqua recognized them – she had encountered them during her experiences within her heart. The beings were still just as flexible and snakelike as they had been there. They sauntered over to the remaining replica and, together, lifted it into the air. Vexen clearly commanded them, whatever they were. “Let’s go.”

Saïx nodded. “It’s time. Good luck.”

“You as well,” Vexen said. He directed the beings through the corridor, then stood at its threshold. “If they catch me, I ask that you murder me again before they do something worse to me.”

“It’ll be my honor,” Saïx replied. Vexen laughed, the sound piercing the tension in the room. He wandered through the corridor, disappearing from view. Aqua strode forward to take his place, watching the darkness swirl with apprehension. She glanced at Saïx again, eyes once more concealed by the vizor. Xion stirred behind them as the two examined each other once more.

“For your sake, I do hope you succeed,” Saïx whispered. Aqua nodded in affirmation and set foot into the corridor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, well, this clearly took some time. Sorry for the lack of updates - life got insanely busy, I moved to another country to start a new job, and I hit massive writer's block/found other outlets for my creativity. I'm hoping that some time off from this project will make it easier to break through some of the issues I'm having at this point in the story/help my motivation. Expect the next chapters to come on a less frequent basis than they were over the summer, but they will come!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!


	12. Familiar Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Aqua's help, Saïx sets his plan into motion.

Aqua lowered Stormfall, admiring her work. To the untrained eye, nothing would seem particularly odd about this door. Of course, that was the point. Should anyone walk up to the door, they would conveniently forget what they were doing and walk away. Master Eraqus had never trained them in non-combative spellcasting, but Aqua had always prided herself on her desire to read ahead. Repellant spells and memory magic had seemed like useful skills for a future Keyblade master, even if she originally only learned them to annoy Terra. Which, of course, she succeeded in doing.

“Care to test it?” she asked casually. Vexen, glowering about _something,_ nodded, snapping his fingers. One of those white bodies - Vexen had explained they were Nobodies called Dusks - materialized beside him. Aqua gave it a wide berth, watching as the Dusk slinked up to the door, pausing for a moment at the threshold. Then, it turned around and wandered away from them. Proud of her work, Aqua smiled to herself.

“Will that work on me, as well?” Vexen asked, snapping his fingers again. The Dusk faded back into nothingness.

“It won’t,” Aqua replied. “But,” she added, smirking, “you can’t get in without a Keyblade.”

“I do hope you haven’t forgotten that you’re the prisoner here!” Vexen snapped, suddenly enraged.

Again.

Aqua rolled her eyes in response, dismissing Stormfall. She had spent less than an hour alone in Vexen’s company, and already, she was growing tired of his temper tantrums. _He just wants to be angry about something,_ she reminded herself. “Go ahead and stop me then,” she invited, holding her arms wide open.

Vexen glared at her and huffed, crossing his arms. Aqua resisted the urge to roll her eyes - again, it was becoming an unfortunate habit with the scientist - and lowered her arms. She glanced back at the door to the otherwise nondescript building. The pair had arrived in this world about an hour ago, by her estimate. Passing through the corridor had been an unpleasant experience, somehow worse than the Realm of Darkness. It had only been fleeting, but even within the armor, Aqua felt the nothingness gripping at her, trying to coax her into the inky blackness, all but confirming Maleficent’s earlier warning.

Dully, anxiety rang in Aqua’s heart at the thought of the fairy. _I’m getting off-course._ She had no choice, though. Abandoning Vexen was too large a risk - he could easily betray her still, or, worse, make off with the replica body. Right now, that replica body was the only card Aqua held in her hand. All of her plans depended on getting the replica body to its destination. She had to trust Vexen. And he had to trust her, she reminded herself. Vexen did his best to sound threatening, but Aqua had deduced the man was not all that skilled in battle. If it came down to it, Aqua was the only thing standing between Xehanort and the scientist. At the very least, their truce held until they completed this side mission.

Which was…

“So...what are we doing in this world?” Aqua asked, eyes still on the door. The replica body they had smuggled through the corridor rested in there now, safe from prying eyes. Or, at least, she hoped. Fooling one of those creatures was easy enough, but would her magic hold if somebody stronger passed by? Somebody who knew what their plan was?

“I told you, I have something to do here first,” Vexen replied snarkily.

“Which is?”

“Patience,” he advised. Aqua’s lips disappeared into a thin line at his hypocrisy, but she fell silent, watching as Vexen scanned their surroundings. Something about this world felt familiar, but Aqua was certain she had never been here. They were on the outskirts of town, in what had to have formerly been some sort of manufacturing or factory district. Everything seemed bathed in a pale orange glow, and even though the air around her felt sleepy, she could hear the bustle of people moving about in the town nearby.

For the first time since returning from the Realm of Darkness, Aqua realized that she was about to be surrounded by people again. Yes, she had already encountered the three men in coats, but this was different. Ordinary people, who were simply milling about their lives, unaware of the danger she and Vexen had brought to their doorstep. Unaware of the Heartless who roamed the Realm of Light, ready to capture the heart of anyone who faltered.

Excitement and wariness blossomed in her, twin dragons swirling around her heart. She had rarely visited other worlds in her youth, only leaving the Land of Departure for training missions. Then, they had clung mostly to the margins of the world. Master Eraqus had always instructed that though they needed to know what the worlds were like to know what was at stake, Keyblade Masters should stay out of the other worlds’ affairs. Even on her own tour, she had been too busy to stop and enjoy what the worlds had to offer. She had to steel herself to abstain from the ball in Cinderella’s world or the gargantuan city that was Radiant Garden, only truly getting to experience the wonders of Disneytown.

Disneytown… _Mickey still doesn’t know I’m back._ How long had it been, anyway? Had she not experienced what actual eternity felt like in the Realm of Darkness, Aqua would perhaps feel as though her short time back in the Realm of Light had passed like centuries. _No more than one or two days._ Had Mickey found her message? For the first time, it occurred to Aqua that the King had ignored her words, had continued to roam the Realm of Darkness for her. She panicked, but quickly pushed that aside. Too much was at stake; she had given him the clue to saving Ven. They had to prioritize the ones they could save.

But...Had he come for her at all, or had he left her to rot down in the darkness?

Aqua blinked. That was an… _unusually_ harsh thought for her. The King wasn’t deserving of such criticism; Aqua had made her choice long ago. Yet… _Ten years until I saw the King. Two until I met him on the beach_ …Hesitantly, she turned to Vexen. “I have a question.”

“I’ve already told you-”

“In the Realm of Darkness,” she interrupted, quieting Vexen immediately, “I...I ran into somebody. Someone who told me that Sora had stopped some sort of catastrophe.” At the boy’s name, Vexen tensed, his demeanor momentarily betraying an unpleasant memory. Aqua brushed the thought off. “How long ago did that happen here?”

Vexen clicked his tongue. “From what I’ve been told...only a few months.”

Aqua nodded absently. _Over two years…_

_What’s taking him so long?_

Vexen cleared his throat. Aqua looked up, blushing. She had gotten lost in her own thoughts and missed what he said. “I thought you would like to know that we are going into town,” he repeated, obviously irritated.

Pushing her doubts away, Aqua glanced at him, confused. “Like that?” she asked, gesturing to his coat. “Won’t you stick out?”

“I have been to this world hundreds of times before,” Vexen shot back. “I have never been noticed before. When you conduct yourself in stealth-”

Aqua rushed past him, Keyblade slicing through the air. Stunned, he silenced himself, gulping as he turned to see a bright heart floating up into the sky while the last remnants of a Heartless faded away into nothingness beneath it. Aqua scanned the area but otherwise saw no threats. Dismissing her Keyblade - this time, Ends of the Earth - she cocked her head back at the scientist. “We should get going.”

“Y-yes,” Vexen stammered. “F...follow me.”

…

Maleficent felt pity for this wretched soul, whoever he was. She lowered herself to the ground, placing a hand against his neck to feel for a pulse. She was certain he was dead. His features were bloodied and bruised, his clothes torn to shreds. Yet, to her surprise, she could sense a weak heartbeat still pulsing within him. Perhaps not strong enough to attract the Heartless, but strong enough to sustain him. For now.

The ghost of worry haunted at the edges of her awareness, though she was still too far removed from her prior humanity to truly experience it. Nonetheless, Maleficent was not certain that this person would live much longer. She could offer him no help. She had no power, of course. Even now, the fairy tried to draw on the memory of her magic, something to help revive or soothe the mouse, but nothing came.

 _I told her,_ she thought, thinking of Aqua. With a sigh, she reached for the King’s hand and held it, unaware that in another life, the two were sworn enemies. _At the very least I can wait with him until –_

“Let him go.”

A sudden, threatening voice emerged from the shadows. However, Maleficent had wandered this realm for long enough to no longer fear its seemingly endless array of horrors. Slowly, she lowered the King’s hand, standing and turning to face the silver-haired teen who glared at her. He was sopping wet, clothes drooping from the weight of the water. He, too, was injured, but nowhere near as severely as the mouse at her feet. Maleficent’s eyes floated to his hands, and though she didn’t feel threatened by his presence, she was momentarily happy to see that he was unarmed. But, at the sight of her, the expression that crossed his face might be the only weapon he needed. Fury, hatred - and recognition.

He knew her.

“Maleficent!” Riku roared, charging the fairy.

…

“Miss, are you okay?”

Aqua’s breath broke through her body in a shaky gasp. A concerned woman had placed her hand on Aqua’s shoulder. Shuddering involuntarily at the touch, Aqua nodded, biting her lip. It did nothing to placate the worry on the woman’s face. “I’m fine, I promise,” she added, trying a weak smile.

The woman was about to say something when Vexen suddenly reappeared at her side, his eyes bugging out of his head with frustration. “She’s with me,” he interjected, grabbing Aqua’s arm and tearing her away.

Aqua’s face reddened, waiting until they had put several feet between them and the woman before snapping her arm out of Vexen’s grasp. “Don’t touch me!” she snarled at him.

“If you kept up, I wouldn’t have to!” he shot back, glaring at her.

A few passersby momentarily stopped at the outburst, concerned and wary eyes judging the pair. Aqua offered them a hurried smile, and she and Vexen continued on past them. Her face turned angry again when she looked back at the Nobody. “I thought you wanted us to be stealthy,” she muttered.

“Yes!” he replied. “And you stopping to look around every five seconds like an imbecile keeps us from doing so!”

Aqua reddened again, hating that he was correct. He turned in a huff and continued leading their way through the crowd. Hesitantly, she followed, keeping her eyes glued to the back of Vexen’s head and trying to calm herself. Everything around her was disorienting. She had been excited to be among normal people again, but every time she looked away from Vexen, she didn’t see people. She only saw Heartless. The crowded streets only reminded her of the swarms she had battled in the Realm of Darkness. Glowing yellow eyes met hers instead of brown or blue orbs. Even the young children who ran past her with sticks of sky blue ice cream brought unshakeable terror to her heart.

Her breathing sped up, threatening to turn into hyperventilating once more. The urge to summon either Keyblade itched at her fingers, but she forced it down. Rationally, she knew she was safe in this crowd, that nobody wanted to harm her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of being surrounded. It didn’t help that they had encountered a few stray Heartless on their way here. Dispatching them was nothing difficult - the Heartless here were far weaker here than in the Realm of Darkness. More importantly, it was an opportunity to test out Terra’s Keyblade. Despite this, Aqua couldn’t shake the worry, the anxiety, the fear.. Heartless _were here,_ even if they were few in number. She wasn’t safe.

She would never be safe.

Angry tears welled up at the corners of her eyes. Was this ruined for her, too? Being around more than two or three people at a time? Her heart was pounding just from brushing shoulders with a stranger. She tried to keep her face down, wishing she could summon her armor so that people couldn’t see the shame and fear that covered her face. That, of course, would catch far more people’s attention. Rationally, she knew that, too. But rationality didn’t matter to her much right now. Something primal within her held control over her fear.

Realizing she had fallen behind, Aqua hurried to catch up to Vexen, muttering a soft apology to the people she had to twist and turn to avoid. “Where are we going?” she asked again, hoping the question would distract her from her terror.

He continued to stride forward with purpose, people seemingly melding their way out of his path. “You’ll see soon enough,” he replied, apparently too irritated to confide in her.

“What good does not telling me do?”

“It keeps us from being discovered,” he replied. “We’re not alone.”

Aqua knew he didn’t mean the crowds.

“Can he really tell? I thought Saïx-”

Vexen cleared his throat, a gloved hand gesturing to the skyline. Aqua followed his gesture, squinting, and saw… _something_ hanging off the top of a lamppost. It wasn’t a Heartless. Instead, it looked like one of the Dusks, but only barely. A chill ran down her spine. Xehanort might not be able to listen in, but his spies were. Thankfully, its head - or, at least, what Aqua thought was a head - was turned away from them.

She really wanted to summon her Keyblade. “Should I-” she suggested.

“No. It would endanger those around us, not to mention give away our location. So long as we blend into the crowd, it will not notice us.”

Aqua agreed with that, but it didn’t assuage her anxiety. “How much farther?” she asked, goosebumps flooding her skin.

“Just keep following me,” he answered. “And, please, try to act normal.”

Aqua bit back her reply, recognizing that getting into another argument would only draw attention to them. _He’s being hypocritical,_ she thought, watching as he continued basically storming through the crowd. He had a point, though. Unfortunately. Aqua took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. _Nobody’s going to hurt you,_ she told herself, turning with Vexen as he made his way around a corner.  
  
This area was a bit less crowded, at least. The path narrowed, buildings providing shade from the sun - and a guard from watchful eyes. It calmed her nerves a little bit, bringing her heart rate down. For a few moments, Aqua allowed herself to actually take in the surroundings, managing to see past the crowd for the world. This town was quaint yet somehow still brimming with people. It reminded her of the town square from Cinderella’s world, except more modern. No, more than that - this world tugged at another strand of Aqua’s memory.

“I’ve been here before,” she muttered absentmindedly.

“What?” Vexen shot back.

“Is this…” she paused, muttering a quick “excuse me” to a group of teenagers as she passed them. “Is this Roxas’s world?”

“Hmm?” Vexen didn’t turn back to look at her, continuing to weave through people as if he weren’t actually there. He was much more graceful at not being noticed than she was; another apology to a rather annoyed older man proved that. “No, it isn’t,” Vexen replied. “Roxas is from another world, the same world I - well, the same world this _version_ of myself is from.”

“And that world is?” Aqua asked, following Vexen as he turned to the right.

“None of your business.”

Aqua clenched her teeth, grabbing Vexen’s arm, but the man snapped it away from her and kept moving forward. She hurried forward, trying to match his breakneck pace. “Are you going to start trusting me at some point?” she asked, growing annoyed again.

The question was hypocritical. She may have aligned herself with Vexen, but she didn’t trust him. Aqua owed the man nothing. She had the replica body, and she knew where they were going next - Vexen and Saïx had both mentioned Radiant Garden. Aqua knew where that was, even if she didn’t know why they needed the world. She could abandon him, if things went south. Or if he betrayed her. _I won’t do that,_ she thought immediately. No, she wouldn’t, but she had a difficult time admitting to herself how appealing the idea. Reluctantly, she considered it. _It’s...safe to have a plan. Just in case._

Vexen laughed, an unpleasant sound that reminded Aqua of nails scraping against glass. “No, I don’t think so.”

 _Great._ “If I’ve been here before, I can come up with a strategy-”

“Yes, but I’ve been here far more times than you have, and I am quite smart enough for both of us.”

_This is impossible._

“What?”

“Nothing,” Aqua muttered, not realizing she had said that aloud. Despite Vexen’s denial, she was certain that this world was the one she had seen in Roxas’s heart. Her eyes scanned the skies again, and the sight confirmed it. Without the obstruction of some of the taller buildings, she could see the large clock tower where the two had fought off in the distance. She and Vexen, however, were moving away from it. In fact, Aqua realized that they had somehow crossed from one side of the town to the other without her noticing it.

 _The one good thing about this,_ she thought, still struggling to keep up with Vexen. She nearly missed his latest turn, lost in her thoughts about the town. Aqua retrained her eyes on Vexen, her earlier anxiety now having died down thanks to the thinning of the crowd. _I’ll just have to get used to this again,_ she told herself. _When Ven and Terra are back, we’ll go around the worlds._ She glanced around, briefly examining the people behind her. _Together, this time. And then -_

“We’re being followed,” she muttered.

For a split second, she had caught somebody’s eye. Somebody was staring at her, but the moment she looked at them, they looked away, disappeared from her view. She couldn’t look back to confirm without their noticing, but she was certain. Somebody had marked them.

“Is it-”

“No,” Aqua replied quietly, moving closer to Vexen. With how quiet this part of town was, the Nobodies would almost certainly have attacked them all out. Both hastened forward. “I think they’re human. But…”

Vexen nodded to a nearby alleyway. The two strode forward, nearly passing it, and at the last moment, spun to dive down the path, Aqua managing to match Vexen’s maneuvering exactly now. Their pace quickened. Vexen clearly knew the paths well. Aqua’s attention became hyper-focused, eyes glued on the man in front while her ears listened for anything out of the norm. The pursuer kept their distance, but no question - they were still following.

Vexen pulled them through a series of turns, the alleyways now empty except for them. Aqua didn’t speak, balling her hands to conceal the firaga she was readying. Ends of the Earth itched at her other hand, but not yet - she was trusting Vexen to lose them, or otherwise give her the signal to defend. _How many? Three?_ It had to be. She could sense the footsteps now, they hadn’t let up for a few minutes. Three pairs of feet, keeping their distance, but otherwise silent.

Suddenly, the overwhelming scent of rotting sewage hit Aqua’s senses. She screwed up her face in disgust, almost loosening the magic but holding onto the pace Vexen was setting. She scanned around - her breath caught. Had Vexen led them straight into a corner? There was no way out! _He wants me to fight,_ Aqua realized. No, not just that - he wanted to lose her while she fought and make off with the replica body!

 _Not a chance in hell!_  
  
Swiftly, Aqua spun, fire appearing in one hand while Ends of the Earth appeared in the other. The massive Keyblade swung behind her, knocking Vexen off his feet. She heard him fall, swearing violently, and she trained her eyes on her pursuers -

“WHOA!”

 _They’re kids._ Aqua blinked, dismissing the firaga just before she sent it flying at them. Three teenagers, two boys and a girl, about the same height as Ven, cowered behind trash cans, one of them with his hands shielding his face. Color rushed to Aqua’s cheeks as she dismissed the Keyblade. _You almost killed three kids._ Aqua hadn’t battled without intention to kill since...she couldn’t even remember at this point. _I almost killed three kids._  
  
“I...I’m sorry,” she muttered, eyes falling to the ground as tears welled up. The anxiety came roaring back - was she ever going to feel normal again? Who had she become that she would so quickly try to kill her enemy? It had always been a last resort. And they were kids! _You were going to kill them,_ her mind kept roaring at her, unwilling to let her off the hook. She shuddered, suddenly frozen. _You’re a monster. Just like Xehanort._

“What in the name of _hell_ was that?”

Of all things, Vexen’s onerous voice snapped her out of her trance. Aqua rapidly wiped her face, not wanting Vexen to see the tears that had fallen. Luckily, the man had enough issues distracting him, namely the pile of garbage Aqua had flung him into. He rose, rubbing his leg and muttering another round of rather inspired curses, glaring at Aqua. She glanced away, embarrassed by her miscalculation.

“I...I thought you were trying to trick me,” she offered weakly.

“Why would I do that?” he cried indignantly.

“You…” Aqua shook her head. _Not worth the explanation._ “Sorry.” She turned, cutting off whatever comments Vexen was about to make, offering a sad, apologetic smile to the kids. Two of them - a brown-haired girl wearing a black tank top and a brown-haired boy with his hair sticking up - were warily keeping their distance, but the other - a blond boy wearing a tank top and vest to show off his already muscular arms - had approached, offering her his own sheepish smile.

“Sorry!” he said. “I, uh, guess we spooked you. Our bad. But, we heard you say something about Roxas, and you guys were _really_ hard to catch up to.”

Vexen scoffed. Sensing that he was on the verge of saying something, Aqua quickly interjected. “You know Roxas?” she asked gently.

“Well-”

“Actually-”

“It’s a bit complicated,” The brunette girl offered with a gentle, if hesitant, smile. Slowly, she stepped forward. The brunette boy blinked in confusion but mimicked her until they joined the blond at his sides. _Their leader,_ Aqua realized. She blinked once, and for a moment, saw herself, Terra, and Ven, but the vision faded quickly from view. All three offered her a sheepish smile. “But, we do know Sora.”

Vexen pulled at Aqua’s arm, hissing something at her, but she brushed him off. All three of the teenagers gave him a dirty look. “Is he bothering you?” The blond asked, eyes suddenly dark.

“No,” Aqua reassured quickly, shooting Vexen a quick look of her own. Clearly, they had seen Aqua slam her Keyblade into him. “Let me handle it,” she mouthed. He rolled his eyes at her and crossed his arms, walking off so that he wasn’t facing them. One of the teens snickered and, in spite of herself, Aqua smirked. “I know Sora, too,” she offered.

“We figured,” the brunette boy said. “When we saw your...uh...what’s it called?”

“Keyblade,” Aqua answered, blushing again at the embarrassment. She looked down for a moment, but, suddenly, realized what they had mentioned. “Does that mean Sora was here recently?” she asked, a sudden gleam in her eye. If she found Sora, she could help Ven - not to mention, help finish off Xehanort.

“Uh...how long ago was it?” the brunette boy asked.

“Just a week or two ago, wasn’t it?” The brunette girl responded, uncertain. The three of them shrugged as a group. “No more than a month,” she added. _A month?_ Slightly crestfallen, Aqua nodded. _Should’ve expected this,_ she thought, slightly bitter. “I’m Olette, by the way.”

“Pence!”

“And Hayner,” the blond finished. “Uh...sorry, again, for following you. We just told Sora we would keep watch to see if anyone knew anything about Roxas. He’s trying to find him, too.”

Aqua nodded, thinking over the new information. Ultimately, though, it didn’t help. She sighed. “I don’t know if I can do much about Roxas,” Aqua added. “Or...at least, I don’t know if that’s what we’re doing, here.”

“We should really be moving along,” Vexen muttered.

“Hey, wait!” Hayner said suddenly. The other two teenagers glanced at him, and he stepped forward, pointing at Vexen. “We’ve seen that coat before.”

“Oh!” Olette gasped. “That’s right. There were two other men who looked like that. We saw them while we were doing some work for Mr. Scrooge, almost right before you passed us.”

At this, the three began to talk over each other. Aqua lost grasp of the conversation. Vexen, visibly irritated, made to grab Aqua’s arm again, but instead, found himself being gripped by her ironclad grasp. Suddenly, she understood what they were doing here. “Members of your organization?” she muttered so that only he could hear. Vexen winced but nodded. “And you brought me here-”

“Yes, okay, to deal with them!” Vexen whimpered.

“You could’ve just told me.” Aqua released him, sighing. “These men,” she said, breaking up the teenagers’ conversation. They all promptly returned their eyes to her. “What did they look like?”

“Hmm.” Pence put a hand to his chin, thinking. “Well...besides the black cloats, they were both his age, too.”

“One of them had long blonde hair and a goatee,” Olette added. “And, uh...I didn’t get super close, but I think he had like these yellowish eyes? Or maybe gold?”

Aqua’s heart skipped a beat. _It can’t be!_ “And the other?” she asked, breathless.

“Uh, I think...he had long, silver hair, right?” Hayner suggested. “And really tan skin. He looked super mean, I didn’t want to get too close.”

Simultaneously, Ends of the Earth and Stormfall appeared unbidden in Aqua’s hands. The three teens let out a small _wow_ and even Vexen blinked in disbelief. Fire flashing in her eyes, Aqua asked, “Where did they go?”

***

Saïx was lost in his thoughts, moving silently through the halls of Castle Oblivion rather slower than he would have liked. Absently, he glanced back behind him, checking to ensure that Xion still followed him. She was, thankfully. Saïx pursed his lips, readjusting his gaze. He still saw the same object as he had earlier, a cloaked figure with no discernible face. _Rather like a zombie,_ he thought. It couldn’t be helped. In fact, it was what the Master wanted, although Saïx had different motivations in mind.

 _Careful,_ he warned himself. Saïx had deduced that, of all his vessels, Master Xehanort perhaps kept Saïx on the longest leash, but it was a leash nonetheless. He could feel the man’s will stirring in his heart even now as he passed through the halls of the Organization’s former hideout. Perhaps Luxord was presenting his report to Xemnas. The Master may not be monitoring Saïx’s heart right now...yet, he soon could be.

Fortunately, Saïx had ten years’ experience ignoring the machinations of that particular organ. Thus why it had been important to cast his heart away again, even if a new one would grow in its place. Thus why it was important to continue viewing Xion as a puppet, just as he always had. Did the old man possess Xemnas’s memories? Saïx had pondered this thought frequently, also, and had concluded that it was pointless to consider. Xehanort would know everything, no matter the method. It was why Saïx had been the first member brought by the Young Master to the new organization.

Alongside Xigbar, of course.

Faintly, Saïx’s lips curled into a smile there, as well. Ah, yes. Xigbar. A card he had always kept close to his chest, just in case. Back before, he had readied that particular plan several times. After the massacre of Organization members in these very halls, Saïx had begun putting it into motion, yet Axel’s betrayal of their goal kept it from coming to fruition. _Another thing to thank him for, after._ A whisper to Xemnas about Saïx’s mistrust, a ball set into motion, and the only member of the organization left to contend with would have been Xaldin. Yes, Demyx and Luxord might have remained, but their motivations had never troubled Saïx all that much. Demyx was easy enough to bend to Saïx’s will, and Luxord would have enjoyed the game of it all. But Xaldin had been one of the originals, one of those absolutely loyal to Xemnas.

It was odd, thinking back on his scheming. No, not odd. Regretful. That was this feeling, of course. For a brief second, Saïx allowed himself to feel regret, but then steeled away the beating box in his chest from the cold logic of his brain.

How much longer would he have to play this role? If Vexen failed, not much longer, of course. Saïx’s betrayal would be given away in moments. Vexen owed him no loyalty, and even if he did, he would crumple within seconds under Master Xehanort’s influence. He had always been weak in that regard. Not that this was not useful to Saïx - it had been quite a persuasive argument to the Master to bench Vexen in order to bring up another player. One whose loyalty couldn’t be questioned. One whose heart had no identity outside of serving its master.

 _They were friends._ Saïx didn’t remember it, but his writings did. Axel had been close to this puppet, as was Roxas. They had stirred the heart growing in his chest, made him act irrationally, loosened Saïx’s hold on him. And now, Saïx owed it to the man to return his friends to him.

It was just one step on his way to atonement.

It was a comfort, at least, to know that if Xehanort did discover his machinations, Saïx would simply be returned to his human body. Of course, somebody would have to destroy his heartless, but with the number of Keyblade wielders roaming the realm, it was likely that particular task had already been completed. And now...no, it seemed Saïx would have to play this part until the last moment. The betrayal would be finished soon enough, at least. Provided those two delivered Roxas’s body to the correct recipient, provided Axel, Sora, and Xemnas played their parts as Saïx was sure they would...yes, his plan would work, and nobody would ever be the wiser.

Yet, it was surprising to hear that Axel had joined Sora on his travels. It was dangerous. If the two bonded in the way that Roxas and Axel had...Saïx had, of course, formulated several plans for this scenario, but in the end, the result would be the same. Unless...no, they would know about it. If Sora had rediscovered his power of waking, they would know. Saïx glanced behind him again.

Still no reaction.

As it should be. To have a version of Xion’s heart awake already, inhabiting a body...but, then, Sora didn’t know about Xion. Nobody did. Roxas, of course, did not yet possess a body. And the other lost wielder - Ventus -

As he had many times in the past weeks, Saïx, for a split second, paused, his mind flashing back to an afternoon in his youth, where he and Lea had befriended a teenager named Ventus. That had certainly been one of the better days of their rather broken adolescence. But then, the boy had disappeared like that. Just like her. And he and Lea were alone again.

 _Another person I owe._ The list was rather long, after all.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Saïx’s end goal was the same. If it was achieved earlier and not through his own machinations, then all the better for it. He had already recalculated his plans several times in the past hour thanks to his conversation with the other wielder. Best not to think their name, he told himself. In war, information reigned supreme. They could spoil Xehanort’s plans if they kept the information to themselves - or, save their own skins with a distraction and a carefully timed lie.

And, after all, didn’t Xehanort want the seven lights to make their return?

Almost automatically, Saïx’s focus retrained on the area around him. They were in the entrance hall. Saïx paused, hearing Xion halt behind him. Deja vu hit him suddenly. Saïx smirked slightly, realizing why. _I can allow myself this one._ “I suppose I was lying that last time,” he offered.

Xion made no response.

 _I certainly hope this is the last time,_ Saïx thought, resuming his pace to the door. As he reached for the handle, a chill crossed his spine. The sensation was familiar; Saïx had long since memorized how his body reacted to a dark corridor opening. He pursed his lips, hesitating. Had Luxord failed in his task - was Xemnas coming to investigate? No, of course not - Saïx had nothing to do with Luxord’s task, unless the gambler had betrayed him. But the odds of that happening were slim. Saïx doubted Luxord’s motivations, but the knowledge he had granted him was too valuable to play this early in the game.

Yet who else would come to this barren castle if not Lord Xemnas himself? Marluxia and Larxene were the only others who jumped to Saïx’s mind, but they had yet to make an appearance here. Unless they, too, were betraying Xehanort. Another ridiculous notion, though. Xehanort’s leash on those two had to be the tightest, given past events. Perhaps the Master had sent Xigbar, or the Young Master had chosen to pay him a visit. Maybe even...

As Saïx pondered this, only a few seconds passed - such was the speed with which he plotted. Within five seconds, he had deduced the most likely outcomes. Within ten, his lies were ready. He opened the door, and found that, for one of the few times in his life, he was incorrect.

His still-growing heart skipped a beat, but Saïx’s face otherwise remained blank at the recognition. The boy in the mask didn’t throw him. No, rather - well...hadn’t _she_ just been here? Even if Xehanort had somehow captured her, the timing of it...And she was with him, of all people? It…

No, it didn’t make sense. Because he didn’t have the information. Not yet.

Wordlessly, Saïx closed the door behind him, hoping that even in her current state, Xion would not follow. He kept his eyes trained on the two figures in front of him, his own golden eyes finding hers. They stared at each other as he approached. He observed their Keyblades in the periphery of his vision. She wielded a different one than the one he had seen her holding previously - this one was a steely silver, not particularly appealing to the eye, if truth be told. Her eyes were cold and intimidating, completely different from the master he had just met. _It isn’t her._ That was the obvious conclusion. Yet the resemblance...She was her evil twin, complete with silver hair and darkness creeping along her skin.

Saïx stopped several feet away, mind calculating as quickly as it possibly could. “Vanitas,” he stated, not taking his eyes off the phantom. “I was unaware that you would be paying Castle Oblivion a visit. Did Master Xehanort send you, or did you come of your own accord?”

“One of your friends?” the phantom remarked. Her voice was mocking, sarcastic, but at its core, the sound was the same as the one Saïx had just heard. _A Heartless?_ he wondered. _Or perhaps another heart reaped by the Young Master…_

“A coworker,” Vanitas informed the phantom. He snapped his fingers, attempting to draw Saïx’s eyes over to him. “Hey! This way, buddy.”

Saïx raised an eyebrow, offering a cursory glance at the helmeted boy. “The last I had heard of your assignment, you were supposed to be antagonizing Sora,” Saïx stated. Again, his eyes drifted back to the phantom, his mouth stalling for time as his mind continued computing through possible explanations. _A clone, obviously...but for her to come so soon after the real one…_ “In fact, I heard that you had failed.” A smirk, for show. “I’m surprised the Master would reassign you to our operation here.”

“And what operation is that?” the phantom asked.

The smirk remained on his face. “Nor was I informed that you had been assigned a… _babysitter._ ”

As expected, Vanitas began to snap at him, but Saïx ignored it. _She has a Keyblade…_ Aqua had said the door had led here. Had this creature followed her here? But then...Yes, that would have to be a lie. So Aqua had come to the castle willingly, from somewhere else - it didn’t matter where. And the creature had followed her, meeting Vanitas along the way, forming a partnership. Did she possess Aqua’s memories? Yes, she must have to come here so soon. What else? No, Saïx would learn eventually. Vanitas, then, had been...yes, he must have met her after being thrown through those doors in the world of the monsters. Saïx smiled to himself. That had been rather amusing to hear. But...if he was working with her, and Xehanort did not know about it, then Vanitas was working on his own project. Which meant...if they were both here…

“Ah,” Saïx breathed, only so loudly that he could hear it himself. _Of course. All this time, and he was right under our noses._  
“Are you paying attention to me?” Vanitas snapped.

“Yes,” Saïx lied, eyes now fully moving to him. He paused, sensing the irritation that was building up in the boy. He had to play this intelligently. He could feel the phantom’s eyes examining him, but he could still find a way to talk himself out of this. “So, I should assume then that you have not been sent here by Xehanort. Nor does he know about your...acquaintance, who, I must say, bears a striking resemblance to a certain Keyblade Master. One whom I’ve been told is currently trapped in the Realm of Darkness.” At this, he retrained his gaze on the phantom. “I suppose you’ve come here seeking my advice on how to instruct Master Xehanort about this sudden reappearance. I’m sure he’ll be quite happy to know that one of the guardians of light has fallen to darkness.”

In the short time that Saïx had known Vanitas, he had deduced that the teen was brought into the organization more for his ability to wield a Keyblade and his connection to Sora than for his intelligence. _How ironic,_ Saïx thought now. But, of course, he was right. Vanitas didn’t respond immediately as he processed Saïx’s words, let alone begin to understand their underlying meaning. “Of course,” Saïx added, “If the Master were to find out that you _didn’t_ tell him-”

“I’m going to tell him!” Vanitas snapped. “But we have other things to take care of first.”

Saïx gestured around him. “Involving Castle Oblivion?” he asked. “And those would be?”

“That’s not what it’s called.” Saïx glanced at the phantom. She stared back coldly, but her eyes moved past him to the castle. “In this form, it’s called Castle Oblivion. But, really, it’s the Land of Departure.”

Saïx’s eyes narrowed briefly, but the name didn’t sound familiar to him. The words, however, did have meaning for Vanitas, who turned to look at the phantom. “Are you serious?” he exclaimed.

“Yes.”

“She hid him-”

“Yes,” the phantom repeated. “In the most obvious place,” she added, mockingly.

“That _bitch!_ ” Vanitas growled.

“Yes.” The phantom stepped forward now, eyes still on Saïx. _She’s been doing her own calculations,_ Saïx thought. If she was a clone of the Keyblade Master...yes, she would be smart. But not as smart as he. Saïx watched as the phantom raised her Keyblade, pointing it at him. “Who are you?” she asked.

Saïx glanced at the tip of the blade casually, feeling his Claymore manifesting in the emptiness as a security measure. “My name is Saïx. I am an...associate of your friend,” he clarified. “As I’m sure you know, we work for Master Xehanort. He has made this place a stronghold for our organization”

“The organization,” the phantom repeated, chewing on the word as she said it. “This organization...the one that wants to plunge the world into darkness?”

Saïx grit his teeth for a moment, but nodded. “More or less, that is the goal.”

“Hmm.” The phantom continued to watch him. _She understands this more than he does,_ Saïx realized. He flexed his fingers underneath the sleeve slightly. Vanitas, he could fool. This one would prove problematic. “What if I offered to help?”

Carefully, Saïx raised an eyebrow. “In what way?”

“I have somebody I need to kill,” the phantom explained, still not letting her Keyblade drop. “You might have heard of her. She’s me, but less stunningly gorgeous.” Vanitas scoffed in the background. “Helmet head over there told me she’s one of your enemies, too. So, whatever you’re doing here, I want to help.”

“I’m sensing a catch,” Saïx replied.

The phantom smirked. “There’s a certain boy in this castle that I promised to give to Vanitas. Gotta pay for my ride.”

 _The X-Blade?_ No, Vanitas was acting on his own. Saïx glanced at the boy, lips thinning. “We are under orders,” he began, slowly, trying to work his way out of the inevitable, “not to interfere with the Guardians of Light. Not until the fated time.”

“Fuck that!” Vanitas yelped. The phantom’s smirk grew into a far nastier sneer. “I get Ven’s body, and they have no chance. We end them-”

“In order to form the X-Blade, we need the seven guardians,” Saïx corrected, taking a step forward. “Forming the X-Blade using you and Ventus will not succeed. Or have you forgotten your spectacular failure?”

“I know that!” Vanitas yelled furiously. He, too, summoned his Keyblade. Saïx blinked once, but otherwise didn’t shift. The teen pointed Void Gear at the Nobody, mirroring the phantom’s stance. “If we get Ventus’s body, we force them to act before they’re ready. We take them all out, then we go with Plan B!”

 _The princesses._ Saïx nodded involuntarily, pressing a hand to his chin. “There is the remaining problem of our thirteenth darkness,” he lied, redirecting the conversation. “Master Xehanort has made it quite clear-”

“That’s where I come in.”

Saïx blinked, glancing at the phantom. He smirked. “I don’t believe you,” he stated plainly. “Forgive me, but you don’t seem particularly willing to bend to his vision.”

“And forgive _me,_ but you’re trying a little too hard to keep me from getting to that little blonde rat,” the phantom replied. Her eyes narrowed.

Saïx watched as Vanitas shifted in his stance. “She’s right,” he observed.

“Perhaps we should go to Master Xehanort with this issue,” Saïx suggested, quickly recalculating. He’d made a mistake. These two were different from the others. Aqua and Sora, Roxas, Axel - despite their emotions, they acted logically. _But these two are too chaotic to reason with,_ he realized.

“What are you keeping from me?” Vanitas growled, voice low.

 _It looks as though the charade is ending sooner than I thought._ “I suppose…” Saïx paused, finally locating the straw he’d been grasping for. Potentially… _If her heart is still young...Xigbar did confess to seeing Ventus…_ There may be a way out of this after all. “I’ve already accomplished your task.”

The phantom and Vanitas shared a glance. “What?” the phantom muttered.

Suddenly, as if hearing Saïx’s thoughts, the door to Castle Oblivion swung open. Vanitas and the phantom both shifted their gaze. Saïx bit his lip, listening to the sound of gentle footsteps as Xion walked to his side. _I do hope they see what I think they’ll see,_ he thought. “Take off your hood,” he ordered.

Xion did so.

Vanitas screamed in agony and rage, the phantom laughed, and Saïx glanced over, realizing he had made another miscalculation. For though he had assumed Xion would lower her hood to reveal Ventus’s face to the eyes of Vanitas, he had been wrong. Staring back at him was a perfect clone of Vanitas himself.

Saïx sighed, summoning his Claymore at last. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?” he offered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I say I'm not going to update regularly and then end up writing two chapters back-to-back in a week.
> 
> Next chapter will be the finale to part two. Let me know what you thought about this chapter in the comments below!


	13. The War Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Second Keyblade War begins in Twilight Town.

Vanitas - the dramatic bastard - was screaming his head off, and the phantom couldn’t help but laugh. Standing next to that blue-haired menace that the phantom simply couldn’t _wait_ to kill was a perfect clone of Vanitas, right down to the Keyblade. At first the phantom was sure the Keyblade’s design was different, but now there was no mistake: It was Void Gear exactly. The only thing missing was the helmet, which in her view was a major improvement.

The phantom had three seconds to enjoy this experience before Saïx charged her, eyes suddenly glowing brightly, the X on his forehead emblazoned and pulsing with energy. She blocked the swing of his Claymore with Master Keeper as Vanitas, roaring with fury, flew at his clone, their Keyblades ringing into the emptiness of what was once the Land of Departure.

The phantom grit her teeth as Saïx's weapon overpowered her defense, nearly forcing her off her feet. The sheer _power_ emanating from him! Her eyes narrowed, any trace of enjoyment already gone. This was going to be more troubling than she thought. Rapidly, the phantom spun out of the way of his attacks, but for all the dodging she did, Saïx kept closing the distance, forcing the phantom to constantly evade. She couldn’t even get a swing of the Keyblade in!

 _Damn you, Vanitas!_ They could deal with the clone later - Saïx was the more dangerous opponent! She growled, attempting an attack at last, but the wild blue energy bursting out of the Nobody’s weapon pierced her. The phantom gasped at the impact, pain flaring across her side as Saïx's strike blew her into the shadows off the path. “Fuck!” she screamed, just barely managing to flip over in the air, hovering over the depths below. She winced in pain, sending a dark cure spell to heal the injury.

She glanced down, watching as dark blood stopped pouring out of the now-closed wound. _Shit._ She had blood, now? She hesitated, watching as Saïx turned, almost feral, and charged Vanitas, who was clashing furiously with his clone. The phantom could hear his swears, his belligerent roars, but he was fighting angrily, fighting clumsily. The clone was matching him stroke for stroke. And -

 _“Shit!”_ He wasn’t paying attention! Just as Saïx made to attack the unaware Vanitas, the phantom burst through a rip in the space around them, a dark violet crystal shard crashing into the Nobody. The collision threw Saïx off Vanitas’s path, the sound of the impact shaking Vanitas out of his stupor - but at the cost of a sharp blow to his arm by his clone. Worse still, Saïx recovered quickly, unfazed by the phantom’s magic. Swearing, she gripped Vanitas by the back of his coat and pulled him through a portal, moving them to the steps of the castle, Saïx and the clone in hot pursuit.

“Are you okay?” she muttered, panting.

“You starting to care about me?” Vanitas taunted.

“I need you alive, idiot,” she growled in response, eyes analyzing their enemies’ movements. This was worse than her fight with Riku - she could take a few hits from the teenager, but Saïx was a different story. Two or three hits from him, and she’d be dead, unless she managed to portal out of the way and heal herself. And the clone - somehow, it was able to keep up with Vanitas. Almost as if -

“Let me fight him,” Vanitas muttered. Surprised, the phantom glanced over. “That fucking _thing_ knows how I fight,” he added quickly, confirming the phantom’s suspicions. “I can’t do anything about it. Take care of it, I’ll hold him off.”

The phantom raised an eyebrow. “I’m not passing up the opportunity to kick your ass,” she stated. Vanitas ripped off his cloak, revealing the bodysuit underneath, and together, they ran to meet their enemies.

***

“This is a horrendously poor idea,” Vexen muttered indignantly.

Aqua shushed him, not breaking her gaze on the dilapidated mansion in front of them. From her position amongst the trees, she glanced over to the other side of the path, flashing one of the mirrors Olette had given her. The glass reminded her that her Wayfinder was still lost, but she pushed that thought aside, fire and excitement still blazing in her being. A flash of light appeared from the trees on the other side. Aqua nodded and returned to waiting.

“They must know we’re here!” Vexen added in an indignant whisper.

“They will if you keep talking!” Aqua growled in response. Unconsciously, she tested the balance of Ends of the Earth in her hands. Fighting some Heartless on the way into town had helped get a feel for the Keyblade, but would it be enough? _It will. You beat him without one before, and now you have two._ But having two Keyblades was one thing; knowing how to fight with them was another.

 _Perfect opportunity to learn._ If she had Terra’s Keyblade, she might as well approach the fight like Terra. Attack first; analyze later. Besides, her goal was to distract that monster while the others got her companion to safety. _Will he remember me?_ He had to - how could he forget the only other person in the Realm of Darkness? The better question was if the man could remember himself. Xehanort - or, rather, his Heartless, according to Vexen - seemed to have brought him out of his stupor.

 _It’s up to me to save him.I’m actually going to help somebody._ She couldn’t save Ven, couldn’t save Terra, couldn’t help Roxas or Xion - not yet, at least. But, here, she could do something. She could save her friend.

Provided she could defeat the Seeker.

“They should be here by now,” Vexen muttered. This time, at least, his voice was lower. “If those three saw them before us, they should be here by now.”

“We took a different route,” Aqua reminded him. She did a quick sweep with her eyes, but still seeing no disturbances, she glanced at Vexen. “You know him, then? The blond man?”

“I…yes,” Vexen admitted, seeming to cut off his own attempt to be biting. “I...He is one of the many mistakes for which I must atone.” Vexen’s eyes lowered at these words, his features softening as they had when departing from Castle Oblivion. Briefly, the facade dropped again, and Aqua again felt pity for the man.

“Me, too,” she muttered. Then, almost unbidden, added, “I met him, in the Realm of Darkness. He was kind to me. But I failed to protect him.”

“You did a great deal more for him than I ever did,” Vexen responded.

“He had lost his memories,” Aqua continued. “But, seeing Xeha - his Heartless, it...it awoke something in him. A fury.” She paused. “He never told me his name. Didn’t know it.”

Vexen laughed quietly, darkly. “Ansem,” he whispered. “Ansem the Wise, leader of Radiant Garden. Beloved by many, and betrayed by those closest to him.”

“Including you?” Aqua asked.

“Including me,” Vexen confirmed. He glanced at the path again, purposefully avoiding Aqua’s gaze now. “I do hope we succeed,” he added, after a few moments’ silence. “If not, _he_ will destroy us. Even if we succeed, he may come after us.”

“Then let him come.”

Vexen glanced at her for a moment, but Aqua’s face had turned steely again. He nodded, the ghost of a smile on his lips, and looked back at the path.

The two waited.

And then -

_They’re here._

It was him - both of them, exactly as Aqua had remembered. A dark corridor materialized in the middle of the path, confirming Aqua’s suspicion that they must have staked out the town earlier. Out stalked Xehanort’s Heartless and, then, Ansem. As much as she wanted to take in the sight of her friend, she forced herself to study Xehanort’s Heartless. Pushing away worried thoughts about Ansem’s wellbeing, she watched as the Seeker forced him to walk ahead. Ansem hesitated with every step, eyes constantly circling his surroundings, but no clear escape was available. The Seeker knew this, and rather than push him forward, simply waited, slowing his pace.

 _Just one,_ she thought. No - not with him. He had that - that _thing,_ that horrendous dark being that hovered behind him when he fought. Fighting it wouldn’t end him, but it posed a threat. As she went over the final versions of her plans, the memory of her fight with Roxas came forward. Aqua hesitated, then, dismissed Ends of the Earth. The element of surprise could turn the tide - she needed to hide the other Keyblade until the right time.

The Seeker passed Ansem now. Ansem followed, already aware how an attempt to escape would end. Aqua wanted to scream out for him to run, that she was there to help him, but they needed to follow their plan. As they walked through the mansion’s gates, Aqua watched as the teenagers emerged from the bushes on the other side of the path, sneaking up to the mansion’s gates.

Vexen shifted behind her. “They await your command,” he muttered. Aqua nodded, and Vexen summoned his own corridor, disappearing to their agreed meeting place.

As the corridor disappeared, Aqua readied herself. The sound of the darkness gave way to voices now; she peeled her ears, listening in to the two’s conversation as Hayner, Pence, and Olette got into position.

“...created enough victims,” Ansem said, his voice pleading and regretful.

“Yes. _You_ have.” The Seeker’s voice was dark, mocking. “All the children sacrificed in the name of your research.” _Your research,_ Aqua thought bitterly, pulsing Stormfall in her grasp. “So make things right.”

Her rage intensified. She could feel the darkness within her coalescing, but Aqua felt no shame about this. _He deserves to die._ He was a Heartless, not a person. She felt no qualms about ending her life. Just...excitement.

“I told you I did not take her. Her disappearance was why I put a stop to the research.”

“And that makes you honorable?” the Seeker spat. “You _used_ Roxas and Namine and threw them away. I doubt there’s a merciful bone in your body.” He paused. “You took the girl and hid her. Now, show me the data you are hiding here.” For a moment, the Seeker’s words caused doubt in Aqua’s heart. What had Ansem done to Roxas? And this girl, for that matter? And who was Namine?

But, just as soon as the doubt came, it passed. “Roxas and Namine.” Ansem’s voice was soft, carried to Aqua only by the grace of the autumnal breeze. “If there is any reason I still draw breath, it is to atone for what I did to them.” _Vexen needs his help with Roxas,_ Aqua realized. He must know something about how to awaken him. _I can help Roxas by saving Ansem._ Whatever Ansem had done, it paled in comparison to the atrocities Xehanort had committed.

Silence followed, Aqua thankful that Hayner, Pence, and Olette didn’t break it by moving. But, as Ansem spoke again, Olette broke off, as was agreed. Aqua’s heart rate quickened, fearful that she was putting the kids in harm’s way, but it had been their idea, and they needed a distraction to get Ansem away from the Seeker. And if anything went wrong...that’s why she was there.

“If you do find that girl, what is it that you expect will happen?” Ansem asked.

“The child’s memory holds a mystery to unravel,” the Seeker responded. “One concerning the battle we seek between light and darkness. You know something and that...is why you stopped the experiments.”

Ansem laughed. “ _You_ are _completely_ deluded, Xehanort,” he mocked. Aqua smiled, silently cheering the man on from the shadows.

“We shall soon see,” the Seeker promised. Fabric and chains rattled, and she heard a small gasp from Ansem, but Hayner and Pence didn’t react, so Aqua calmed. The two boys nodded to each other, and then Pence stepped forward, standing underneath the archway.

“Yoo-hoo!” he called, waving his hand. “‘Scuse me!”

“Who are you?” the Seeker called.

Aqua closed her eyes, slowing her breathing. “Protect them,” she muttered. At her words, the Dusks summoned by Vexen slithered forward, moving into position. _I’m fighting alongside monsters,_ she realized. How things had changed.

“Oh! Well, I’m looking for a friend who used to live here.” Pence was doing a good job; Aqua opened her eyes, unable to see if the boy was shaking in fear or not. She and Vexen had purposefully left out details of the threat, had made back-up plans of their own, hoping that the three wouldn’t give away the trap they were laying.

“No one lives here. Begone!” the Seeker commanded.

“But, sir!” Pence objected, stepping forward.

“No, no, no! Not one more step!” the Seeker shouted. “Get out!”

They were moving towards each other; Hayner nodded slightly, giving Aqua her cue to watch him. Pence had distracted him. Any second now, Olette would run in, grab Ansem, and…

Hayner flashed the thumbs up and burst out. Aqua leapt from the ground, flying into the trees to move to her next position, her heart pounding out of her chest. “Hey loser!” Hayner shouted as Aqua prayed for the Dusks to get to him in time.

She heard a yelp and a thud, but Hayner had promised he could take hits -

“Hayner!” Pence called out.

Aqua leapt onto the roof of the mansion, surveying the scene. The Nobodies circled the Seeker, blocking his path to the boys. But the Guardian had appeared, and the Seeker’s eyes were murderous. “I serve the organization. This is treason!” he shouted, too distracted to notice Aqua. Hayner and Pence looked on, watching as the Nobodies closed in on the Heartless. _Go now!_ Aqua screamed. _Run!_ Almost as if commanded by her thoughts, Pence grabbed Hayner by the arm, helped him up, and the two took off, running for their lives.

Aqua breathed a sigh of relief. _Just me now._

The Seeker watched as they ran, not yet making a move on the Nobodies. Aqua watched him make the calculation. He laughed, suddenly. “I see...Have it your way then.” Within seconds, the Guardian dispersed of the Dusks as if they were barely there. The Seeker turned to the gate, ready to give pursuit -

“Xehanort.”

The Heartless turned around, eyes, for the first time, surprised. Aqua glared down at him from the roof, eyes filled with every ounce of fury and hatred she could muster. “You!” he shouted, pointing a finger at her.

“Me.” Aqua leapt from the roof, landing with a soft thud on the ground empty-handed.

“How did you escape the Realm of Darkness?” the Heartless asked. “You were meant to die there!”

“I was,” Aqua acknowledged. “But _you’re_ meant to die here.”

The Heartless looked taken aback, but he quickly mustered his features, sneering at her. “You still don’t have a Keyblade,” he mocked. “You only bested me last time because-”

Wordlessly, Aqua summoned Stormfall.

“I see,” he muttered, face suddenly clouded. For a moment, he hesitated, conflicted. _He doesn’t want to fight me,_ Aqua realized. Saïx had said that they weren’t to engage until the fated time. This could end without a fight.

But Aqua wasn’t going to give him the chance.

Before the Seeker could escape, Aqua surged forward, lightning cackling around her body. She collided with the Seeker, who had only just registered the movement, and slashed at his body, happy to hear a gasp of air leave his lungs. He stumbled, but swiftly, the Guardian came forward to block the rest of her strikes, spreading its hands wide.

Aqua attempted to damage it twice, but quickly retreated, keeping well out of the Guardian’s reach. But it wasn’t the Guardian’s arm that came for her but blazing discs of darkness. Aqua maneuvered quickly in the air, barely dodging the attacks and using aero magic to propel her as the Seeker flung attack after attack at her. Those aimed too low collided with the mansion with a heavy cracking sound, stone crumbling and glass breaking. Birds flew into the air around them, sensing the danger.

With the air clear, Aqua surged forward again, this time coated in fire. The Seeker prepared a counterattack, but instead, Aqua pointed her Keyblade at the ground, flying past the Seeker. A moment passed, and then the Seeker Mine Aqua had planted exploded behind her in a cloud of dust. She landed, a Triple Thundaga already building at the tip of Stormfall, eyes waiting for the dust to clear.

For a flash of a second, the wind changed -

One millisecond late, and Aqua would have been grabbed again. She cartwheeled out of the way of the Guardian’s claw, bursting beneath her through the earth! The shockwave cut into her skin, but otherwise, Aqua was unharmed. Her rhythm thrown off, the Triple Thundaga collided with the walls surrounding the garden, creating a massive hole in the brick. Quickly, Aqua began to block blows from the Guardian, able to hold onto a shaky stance on the ground but only barely resisting the Guardian’s pummeling. Her eyes desperately scanned for her real enemy, but she couldn’t find him and block the Guardian at the same time!

“SUBMIT!”

Instinctively, Aqua flung her arms out, her barrier surrounding her as hundreds of dark energy orbs collided with the walls. The impact tested the strength of her magic, but she was able to withstand the onslaught, only to find the Seeker himself flying at her, surrounded by a cage of red lasers. Out of time, she could only raise her Keyblade to block him. The lasers cut into her skin, while the Seeker grabbed her with seemingly inhuman strength, and threw her at the crumbling mansion.

Biting through the pain, Aqua fired a firaga at the ground, the flames propelling her upward and through a broken window instead of into the brick of the mansion. She crashed onto the floor of a pure white room, Stormfall clattering out of her grasp. Quickly, Aqua reached for it, knowing she had only a second to cure herself before the Seeker pursued her -

_Unless he goes after Ansem._  
  
Rather than battle it, Aqua backflipped out of the way, putting distance between the two. The Guardian gathered bright energy at its claws and sent blazing bursts through the grass after her. Like a gymnast, Aqua again moved out of the way, eyes flashing back and forth between the Guardian and the Seeker himself. 

_He can’t attack while the Guardian does._  
  
She had missed this in her first fight with him - but it could prove the difference here. Aqua had a second to make this realization when she saw the Guardian return to the Seeker. Aqua prepared another attack but again had to shift to dodging as the Seeker, using the Guardian as a shield, charged her with darkness surrounding it. Just as she maneuvered to safety, he changed direction, instantly heading for her. This time, however, Aqua was ready - her barrier flung up around her in an instant - 

_He knows that move!_  
  
Too late! A dark hand, belonging to neither the Seeker nor the Guardian, burst through the ground, wrapping Aqua in its tight grasp. Stormfall clattered out of her grasp. She struggled to free herself, but the hold was too tight, the darkness digging into her skin as the Seeker laughed, floating down in front of her, reaching a hand out for Stormfall as the Guardian hovered behind him menacingly. 

“I am under orders not to kill you,” he threatened, floating within inches of her, “but if I’ve guessed at your game, your replacement has already been found.” 

“Do it then,” Aqua growled, glaring at the monster. 

“My pleasure.” 

The hand began to tighten, attempting to crush Aqua - 

The Seeker gasped as a Keyblade pierced his gut, dark strands spilling out of the wound. In shock, he looked at Aqua - only barely still grasped in the now-fading monstrous hand - who sneered triumphantly back at him. Then, he glanced down, and with a painful sear of memory, recognized the Keyblade that had wounded him. 

“How?!” the Seeker managed in one pained moan. Aqua offered no explanation. Sensing the danger, the Seeker flung the Guardian in front of him just as Aqua ripped herself free from the claw, swinging Ends of the Earth wildly at the monster. But, it wasn’t just Ends of the Earth - now, Stormfall was clutched in her other hand, and she swung masterfully with the two blades, battering away at the Seeker’s defense. 

For a moment, Aqua felt the exhilaration of the battle, almost laughing with joy as she laid into the Guardian. She watched as it clenched its teeth, shuddering as it barely protected the Seeker, experiencing an almost arrogant euphoria at the sight. She had never felt so strong. Triumphantly, she drew back from the onslaught, catching the Seeker right in her trap as she disappeared, dashing behind him and striking him across the back with Ends of the Earth. She heard the Seeker cough, but it was music to her ears as she spun, replacing Ends of the Earth with Stormfall. Blue stars burst from the Keyblade as it collided with him, leaving a fiery blue streak in the air behind him. 

In her periphery, Aqua watched as the midnight blue aura she had used in the Realm of Darkness covered her. _Am I in Spellweaver?_ No - this had to be another form, something new. Stormfall began to spin out of her hand, colliding with the Seeker like a wheel. Ends of the Earth, meanwhile - Aqua glanced over, eyes widening as she realized it had turned into a whip! Her momentary shock transformed into a kind of addictive glee, relishing in the opportunity to fling the whip at the Seeker. It wrapped around him before the Guardian could free him, and with it, Aqua flung the Seeker into the air. 

For a moment, the Seeker was free - free to take a keen observation of his stance in the fight. His eyes narrowed, trying to get in all he could in between Aqua’s brutal blows. Something about her had changed since the last time they had clashed. He hadn’t given it his all then, to his mistake - had he, he may have saved himself this battle, though not without certain costs. Now, however, there was the realization that he may not survive. Aqua had become stronger, more formidable. 

Yet...He hadn’t yet unleashed every ounce of his power, trying to draw out the full moveset of the Keyblade Master instead. He had always been patient, and he knew he could withstand her onslaught. The second Keyblade had been a surprise, one that he could not have foreseen - it complicated matters. But to reveal it to him this early? It seemed sloppy. Surely she could have escaped the Guardian’s grasp? And the expression on her face - and that aura around her - 

Just as Aqua materialized in front of him, the end of Stormfall pointed at his face, a sneer crossed his features. He recognized it, now, only late to the realization because he had never suspected that she would succumb. Aqua’s magic collided with him with a blast. It hurt, to be sure, but he simply allowed himself to fall back to the earth, using darkness as a shield against the ground. The Guardian reasserted its position in front of him as Aqua dove after him, both weapons drilling into its outstretched arms. All he had to do was keep driving her glee in the heat of battle, driving her anger, driving her hate...and she would fall to Darkness. 

__

***

The phantom heard Vanitas’s mask smash in before she saw it.

Vanitas roared a series of curses, but the phantom had no time to glance over, barely able to deflect the clone’s continued series of hits. She had assumed that Aqua’s memories of fighting Vanitas would clue her in, but the clone, for all its physical similarity, fought differently - somehow more reckless yet refined, harder to read, focusing almost entirely on physical attack and defense. The lack of magic threw the phantom, the clone’s speed and skill with the weapon too masterful to allow her the opening for anything more powerful than a weak fire or blizzard spell. Even worse, the clone was somehow predicting the phantom’s moveset perfectly - she’d only managed a few hits, and even then, the clone seemed to be undeterred by any of her blows.

Every now and then, she and the clone would pass by Vanitas and Saïx. Saïx was depending on some sort of magic involving the moon to send him into his feral states, and with the darkness swirling around the world, he was able to slip into these states frequently. Yet even when the magic ran out, he was formidable, matching Vanitas in combat. Saïx's Berserker form proved far too powerful for Vanitas to do anything other than defend himself. When Saïx calmed, however, his intellect kicked in. Vanitas was reckless and unpredictable, possessing his own massive strength. But Saïx was too smart, didn’t take chances - because he didn’t have to. From her perspective, it was almost as if Saïx knew everything Vanitas would do, as if he had studied every single move the boy possessed.

The phantom snarled. _That bastard. He probably did._ She blocked another blow from the clone, trying to throw it off balance, but it dug its feet into the ground. Vanitas’s face stared blankly at her, expressionless, seemingly not even aware that it was fighting. The phantom wanted to smash that face. _But nothing I do is working!_

They had to regroup. Readying a portal and a few clones of her own, the phantom sparred with the clone, replacing herself with a projection as she disappeared into nothingness. A second later, she appeared in front of Vanitas, blocking a blow from Saïx's massive weapon. Blue energy seared her, but the clone hadn’t managed to harm her too badly - she had plenty of cure magic left. She pushed Vanitas through a portal, managed to hold off Saïx for another few seconds, then left another projection in place, throwing herself after Vanitas.

Vanitas swore, pressing a hand to a bleeding wound on his shoulder. Wordlessly, the phantom cast curaga, hearing the crunch as some bone in Vanitas’s body snapped back into place. The pain from Saïx's attack subsided. “Where are we?” he shot quickly.  
The phantom looked in the distance. They had retreated away from the castle. But she could sense the air around them shifting - Saïx was hot on their trail, the clone not far behind them. “It doesn’t matter, they’re coming.” Her voice was hoarse from screaming. Panting, she looked at Vanitas, who was now tearing the shattered helmet from his face, leaving only the steel chinstrap. _Ridiculous._ She could insult him later. “We need a strategy.”

“No shit. You couldn’t think that five minutes ago?”

“I couldn’t get an _opening_ five minutes ago,” she snarled back. “Did you find anything out?”

“I barely managed to stay alive!” He swore, standing. “Nothing I do works. How the fuck are we supposed to kill him?”

The phantom’s lips pursed. “We might need to retreat,” she admittedly angrily.

“Fuck that!” Vanitas roared. “We leave here, he goes to Xehanort and tells him some shit story about how we tried to kill him, how he was a victim! And I’m not fucking leaving here without Ven’s shitty body over my shoulder!”

Too exhausted to offer a smart reply, the phantom began to pace, trying to find a solution. The clone...Somehow, it was capable of copying them exactly, move for move. It didn’t hit nearly as hard as Saïx, but - _It’s a distraction._ Of course - it was meant to exhaust them, how had she not noticed? The phantom swore, turning back to Vanitas. “We go after Saïx,” she ordered. “Leave the clone.”

“You think-”

“Shut the fuck up and listen to me!” she snarled, slamming her Keyblade into the ground. “You saw its face, didn’t you? It’s not thinking. _Saïx_ is. Saïx is the one in control. We kill Saïx, we kill the clone. And we do it by working together.”

The words were like bile in the phantom’s mouth, but at this point, there was no hope - she had found herself in a life-or-death alliance with this asshole. Vanitas glared at her. “Fine,” he admitted. “But I-”

“Will follow my lead,” the phantom ordered again. Vanitas visibly bit back his retort, his eyes betraying his own calculation as he looked down at the many tears in his bodysuit.

“What’s your plan?” he muttered.

The phantom took another second, heart pounding against her chest as Saïx drew nearer. She didn’t have enough time! _If we make it two to one, the clone distracts, Saïx attacks._ Leaving a decoy wouldn’t work. Even if one of them was bait, the clone would come for them. So...they both had to be targets.

“Draw Saïx to you,” the phantom instructed. “Dodge and wait for an opening.”

“When he shifts.” Surprised, the phantom blinked. Vanitas’s eyes were on fire again, a nasty smirk on his face. “Between the two...whatever, you get what I’m saying, right?”

“Yes. Now go!”

A burst of blue energy flew past them as the two dodged. Saïx, still in his Berserker mode, was swinging the Claymore wildly, dangerous blue flames spreading all over the ground. Behind him, the clone ran, its Keyblade pulled back in its hands. But now, the phantom and Vanitas paid it no mind, the two staying near Saïx, dancing out of range of his attacks with renewed strength from the curaga and the new plan.

The phantom caught Vanitas’s eye and nodded. _Keep up the illusion._ She bounded off the ground in time, missing another pulse of energy. Metal met metal as Vanitas blocked a blow, but he rolled out of the way of another attack. The phantom fired off weak bursts of dark ice at the Nobody. It drew his attention, and the phantom portaled out behind him. Saïx flung his Claymore at where she had been in the sky, but another appeared in his hand. The phantom grit her teeth, meeting his swing and desperately digging into the ground to keep her balance.

Flames licked at her legs, and she swore, but before Saïx could ready another attack, Vanitas snapped behind Saïx, his Keyblade aiming for Saïx's head. But in this state, Saïx was too fast, whipping around to grab Vanitas. The phantom swung at his legs, managing to connect and get the Nobody to release Vanitas. This time, Vanitas grabbed the phantom’s arm and pulled her to safety as Saïx began a new onslaught.

They led Saïx farther down the path, purposefully distancing him from the still pursuing clone. The phantom met Vanitas’s eyes again, and simultaneously, they both dived in, Keyblades raised - but, they passed Saïx. He turned, pursuing the two projections, as the real Vanitas and phantom flew at him from behind. Their Keyblades slammed into his back, and for one moment, the phantom was convinced that the maneuver had actually caused damage - until Saïx slammed his Claymore into the ground, and the energy of the impact flung the two back another ten feet.

The phantom landed on the ground with a hard thud, hearing something in her body snap grotesquely. _What’s the point of having a body if it breaks?_ she thought, irritated. Another cure spell, weaker this time but enough to mend the bone and bring her back to her feet. Saïx, already, was storming towards them, his eyes gleaming. The phantom readied herself to dodge.

“NOW!”

Vanitas caught it before she did, but the phantom reacted without thinking. In an instant, six projections surrounded Saïx, whose eyes were no longer glowing with all the moon’s power. Six barbed, crystalline spheres shot at him from the six Keyblades, while Vanitas flew in from behind them. Saïx's eyes blinked as he realized he had been caught, instinctively flinging his arms to his face as the attacks collided with him.

Victorious, the phantom snarled, watching as Vanitas now hammered into Saïx. The Nobody had been thrown off balance, and that was the only opening Vanitas needed. Without the power of the moon to stop him, Vanitas easily overpowered Saïx through pure rage alone. Laughing, the phantom began running after the two, not realizing that they were pushing closer and closer to -

From out of nowhere, blue energy collided with her, a Claymore smacking into her head and knocking her to the ground. The phantom coughed up blood, her body screaming in agony as somehow, Saïx - no, not Saïx! How?! Somehow the clone - its weapon had changed, its eyes were glowing white - was it imitating his abilities? How was - no, it didn’t matter how it was, it was merciless, destroying her!

_It found a new person to mimic._

It was all the phantom could do to throw open another portal and collapse through it. She could hear Vanitas and Saïx clashing, but she couldn’t pull herself off the ground. It seemed as if the clone had cut her one thousand times. Every inch of her body screamed in agony. Master Keeper fell from her hands, her fingers too weak to continue holding it. Her mind scrambled, caught between disbelief over the shift in the battle and the desperate urge to get up. _Not like this._ She could hear the clone coming for her, the energy bursting from its weapon promising to take the phantom’s life.

The pain was too much -

 _I - I’m going to die?_ was her final thought before passing out.

***

Frantically, Vexen, Ansem, Hayner, Pence, and Olette ran through Twilight Town, Vexen none too pleased that the three teenagers were still with them. Ansem had somehow convinced him that the teenagers’ lives were threatened so long as Xehanort’s Heartless still wandered this world. Begrudgingly, Vexen had agreed. Forced to run rather than use a dark corridor, Vexen was retracing his steps from earlier, being none too kind to the denizens of the town as he shoved them out of the way.

They were about halfway through the town when they heard the first explosion.

Stunned, they all paused, turning with the people around them toward the source of the sound. A cloud of dust was rising in the direction of the mansion. Suddenly, a massive flame burst out of it, and from the flame, two - no, _three_ figures appeared. They were too far away to see clearly, but -

“We need to go!” Vexen snapped, for himself just as much as for the others. He grabbed Ansem’s arm. His old master, however, stood rooted to the spot. Everyone watched as one of the figures - it was her, it had to be her - slashed at the other with a massive sword - no, not a sword, he knew better! The impact of the weapon on the Seeker’s body was deafening, echoing around the town with a massive crunch. The strike flung the Seeker toward the ground, a loud crash confirming that one of the many buildings of Twilight Town now lacked a roof.

Aqua dove after him without hesitation. Vexen’s eyes narrowed. _The file said she was cautious,_ he remembered. Something about her -

In a flash, the sky turned black. The ground rumbled, and then a massive black monster emerged from where the Seeker had landed. Aqua stopped in her path midair, readjusting as the monster - the Seeker’s Guardian, now twenty times its original size - lunged for her. Screaming reached Vexen’s ears - not Aqua’s screams, not the Seeker’s screams, but the screams of Twilight Town, for the Keyblade War had come for them.

Panicking, Vexen attempted to pull Ansem along with him. Someone - multiple someones - began crying in fear as Aqua’s powerful magic attacks exploded above the town, seemingly shaking the entire world with their force. Vexen gulped involuntarily for a moment at the sensation, unable to believe the true power of the Keyblade Master and the Seeker of Darkness. _Twelve years fighting Heartless in the Realm of Darkness - two Keyblades - and…_

He was suddenly quite glad that he and Saïx had come to her side.

“We need to go!” he shouted over the din of the battle. Dark laughter echoed - the Seeker’s laughter, somehow. Vexen tore his eyes from the skyline. “We will die if we remain here!”

Ansem turned to face him, eyes grave. “The people are not safe,” he responded.

“I know this!” Vexen sputtered. “That’s why I said-”

“Even.” Vexen paused at his old name, eyes meeting his old master’s. “If we leave them here to die, then what men are we?”

At this, Vexen’s eyes fell. But...he had always managed to see the big picture. “We are only men,” he replied. “Men with a role to play, but not one on the frontlines. Look at what’s happening!” He added, desperately. “How can we stop this?”

“Even-”

“I can save Roxas,” Vexen quickly replied. “You and I are the only men capable of saving him, of righting this wrong. Without us, he’s lost forever. We have to go.”

Ansem’s eyes went wide. He was speechless for a few moments, but another explosion of magic and a burst of light above them broke him out of his reverie. He nodded, giving into Vexen’s plan. “We must make haste, then.”

***

Something was happening to her. She had never revelled in violence like this before. The battle was too thrilling, pulling on some darkness in her, commanding her to prolong it, to make him suffer, to end him. But as he managed to withstand blow after blow, demanding more and more of her most complex magic and attacks, Aqua felt the righteousness of her anger overtake her purpose to protect. Her magic became more volatile. _I’m using Grand Magic,_ she realized passively as a Firaza unleashed on the Seeker burnt down a line of trees at the edge of the forests.

The Seeker began to match her, though, no longer just withstanding her attacks. As she flung spell after spell at him, laid into him with all the might of her two Keyblades, he began to match her - or, at least try to match her. She sneered at the thought as they clashed, the explosions of his darkness and her magic growing louder with each blast. At one point, she realized the Old Mansion had crumpled, its roof completely caved in, its stone walls broken down by their battle. But it didn’t matter. Not so long as she killed the Seeker.

Roaring, the Seeker flung a massive ball of rippling darkness at her. Rather than block it, Aqua unleashed another Firaza. The two spells burst in a massive explosion, echoing throughout the town. For a second, Aqua watched as her fire spun together with the darkness, her eyes slightly narrowing in curiosity as she felt that something wasn’t quite right about the mixture...but she had no time to spare on those thoughts. Bringing up her barrier around her, Aqua dashed through the still exploding magic, the whip once again wrapping around the Seeker. She threw him into the sky, then burst into the air after him, breaking through the smoke in time to see the expression on his face.

He was _laughing._

_This isn’t right -_

_He’s LAUGHING?_

Suspicion and rage clashed within her, but rage won out. Aqua screamed, Ends of the Earth returning to its original form, and she heaved the Keyblade at the Seeker. A deafening crack split her eardrums, and she watched with haughty triumph as the attack threw the Seeker down to the ground - no, not down to the ground. Down to the town below them! _He drew me to them. He thinks I won’t fight him if it puts people in harm’s way -_

Horrified, Aqua watched as the sky turned black. From below, she could hear the Seeker’s booming, arrogant laugh. He rose from the broken rooftop, wrapped in a cage of darkness. The Guardian blossomed from the cage until it towered over the city, its size rivaling and then outdoing those of the Darksides she had battled in the Realm of Darkness. It sneered at her, its massive arms outstretched, claws grasping at the dark air around it. Then it lunged for her.

Somebody screamed, but Aqua couldn’t hear it over her own roar. As the Guardian’s hands reached for her, she surged forward, leaving behind a powerful mine bomb that exploded, magic raining down on the roofs of the city. She dashed through the air, her magic powering her flight, Keyblades aimed at the cage where the Seeker laughed. Firaza - Blizzaza - Thundaza - whatever magic she could use to stop him, no matter the cost.

She heard the screams and cries from the citizens of Twilight Town, sensed the massive destruction her battle was doing to the town, felt the darkness, held at bay for twelve long years, finally wrapping itself around her heart.

But she didn’t care.

She unleashed a massive Shotlock, powerful bursts of rainbow light shining forth from Stormfall. The light collided with the dark cage in which the Seeker had encased himself, and seemingly the entire planet shuddered. The sight of the Seeker, still laughing, still on his feet, only fueled the rage and hate flowing through Aqua, commanding her to switch to Ends of the Earth, the Keyblade responding to her desires and shifting into a massive cannon. Energy gathered at one end, Aqua’s hate seething as she saw the faces of everyone who had destroyed her life swarming around the Seeker’s cage.

Xehanort. Vanitas. Maleficent. The phantom. The possessed Terra. The Seeker himself.

But it wasn’t just the villains. No, other faces swam too, blurring Aqua’s vision. Mickey now, then Terra, Yen Sid, Master Eraqus - and as the darkness crept around her heart, beginning to seal it, the hate for them finally broke through, too. All the anguish she had felt, all the pain caused by their mistakes, all the horrors of _twelve years alone in the dark!_ \- it finally grabbed hold of her. She couldn’t fight it anymore.

The cannon fired, letting loose a massive ball of cackling energy. But where the Lingering Will’s attack had been pure energy, Aqua’s attack was warped, darkness seeping in as the sphere flew toward the Seeker. This time, she watched as the cage broke. The Guardian flickered in and out of the air for a moment, growing smaller. The dust cleared, and Aqua could see the Seeker’s face.

He wasn’t laughing anymore.

Part of her was screaming to stop the onslaught, that she was going to destroy the town, that the aura coating her skin was no longer midnight blue but pure black - but her anger toward this man, the one who wore Xehanort’s face, the one who had destroyed everything she had ever loved overcame that voice. Twelve clones of Aqua ripped themselves out of her, all of them raising their Keyblades to summon massive dark crystals. With one united roar, they flung them at the Seeker.

They connected, shattering into a million shards of glass, cutting the Seeker’s body. The attack was too much for him - the Guardian disappeared, the cage collapsed, and the Seeker’s body went limp. He fell from the air, but Aqua was not content to let gravity do the job. No - the last time she had been certain of his defeat, she had been stranded in the Realm of Darkness again. She would never let it happen again. All it would take was one more strike!

But she couldn’t move.

Try as she might, Aqua found herself frozen. Eyes wild, she glanced around, trying to see if the Seeker had managed some final spell on her to hold her in place. Indeed, something was. Dark tendrils had emerged from a portal below her and were now wrapped around her legs. She tried to free herself, but despite the loose feeling of the cords, couldn’t. Was this the Seeker’s magic? How was he using it when he was unconscious?

_It’s not his._

Horrified, Aqua realized the darkness was pulling her down. She understood now, her mind flashing the image of Terra’s fall to darkness across her eyes. _No - I didn’t give in -_

_But you did._

Her heart pounded in fear, trying to resist the darkness. But it was too late. She had used it, but she had never mastered it. And now, it was coming to claim her. Frantically, she tried to free herself, but she found that even Stormfall and Ends of the Earth couldn’t release her from the darkness’s hold. She cried out, but the sound was muffled by the screams and cries from Twilight Town, its residents still terrified by the massive battle that had played out over their city. She could see the destruction, the fires, the crumpled buildings.

 _It’s my fault._  
  
_I can’t breathe._  
  
She was choking, just like when she had drowned in the Realm of Darkness. Her light was extinguishing. She tried reaching for her Wayfinder, praying that its magic would protect her - but she had forgotten again. She no longer had it. She couldn’t even see Ven and Terra’s faces anymore - no, she couldn’t remember who she was. All she could feel was the darkness pulling her into its clutches once more.

With one final gasp for air, Aqua resigned herself to her fate. Her eyes closed, and the darkness captured her heart.

***

Floating -

Floating down -

Her feet hit the floor, but her eyes remained closed. There was this odd sensation around her - almost warm? Like the light, but...no, different from the light. But there was something else, something almost sizzling at the edges. She waited, eyes still closed. She had no urgent need to open them. But the sizzling sound...something was happening. It drew her curiosity. What was it? And the warmth - something was happening to it. Was that a breeze? Why did the air feel suddenly chill around her?

 _I need to see._  
Just like that, the phantom’s eyes opened. They were on the ground - a crystalline ground, colored with hues of blue and violet that tugged at her memories. Something about this was familiar, but - no, she couldn’t be here. The design was different - it had only been _her_ in the middle, not the two of them -

Her eyes followed the sizzling sound, resting on the face of her twin. She was on her knees at the edge of the dais, her eyes closed as the darkness swirled around her, pulling her closer and closer to the nothingness. For a moment, the phantom considered the sight, her memories not yet returned to her. _What happened to her?_ she thought, unable to understand what Aqua was doing here, now - and why she, too, was here, now. The last thing she remembered -

Coughing up blood, the phantom fell to her knees, too. The sound woke Aqua, her eyes momentarily glazed over by sleep. But she too registered the sights, registered her memories. The phantom and Aqua gazed at each other, but while the phantom’s heart raced at her impending fate, Aqua...Aqua just looked at her. Curiously. The darkness surrounding the Master continued to sizzle, while the phantom continued to cough, unable to shake off the sensations of the physical realm even in this most mystic of places.

Finally, the phantom could hold off no longer. She gasped for air, managing to stifle the coughs, pressing a hand against the glass to stabilize herself. She laughed hoarsely, weakly, managing a weak sneer at Aqua. “You-” was all she got out before another violent fit of coughing. “What are you-”

“What are you doing here?” Aqua’s voice was accusatory yet gentle, echoing in the phantom’s mind. She looked up, glaring at Aqua as she realized the woman’s mouth hadn’t moved to ask the question.

“Looks like things have changed since the last time,” she replied, avoiding the question by gesturing to the ground. Where before it had only been Aqua’s body that lined the glass, now the shadow of the phantom adorned the glass, too, peering over her shoulder from behind Aqua. “Figures that I can’t get rid of you that easy.”

Aqua was silent for a few moments, watching as the phantom continued to cough. “What happened to you?” she asked.

The question threw the phantom, if only because she had assumed Aqua wanted to know where she was more so than what had happened to her. She laughed - an odd sensation, given that it was in their heads - and answered, “Got into a fight. I might be dying. Music to your ears, I guess.” The last words were accompanied by a bitter laugh.

“Fight with who?”

“Another asshole with blue hair.”

“Saïx?”

The phantom’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know him?”

Aqua ignored her. “What are you doing at Castle Oblivion?”

She sneered, taking pleasure in making her wait. “Trying to find you,” she lied. “All I want in life is to destroy you. Remember?”

The words hung in the silence around them, the only sounds the phantom’s coughing and the darkness sizzling around Aqua. Between her fits, the phantom watched her clone, at first waiting for her to respond. But, as Aqua continued to stare at her, eyes seemingly unblinking, the phantom began to instead watch the darkness swirling around her. She could see it dragging her off the dias, but Aqua didn’t try to resist. The phantom’s eyes narrowed. _She’s not trying to save herself…_ Her eyes went wide. _No way._ For a moment, the phantom felt an odd rush of emotion that she couldn’t identify. _She gave in?_

“Guess somebody else beat me to it.”

Aqua’s eyes didn’t blink. It was eerie how she looked, devoid of hope. Even in her worst moments in the Realm of Darkness, the phantom had never been able to extinguish that one last morsel of light, the one last part of her that clung to her hope. It pissed the phantom off. She snarled, suddenly crawling forward. Jealousy - it _had_ to be jealousy, right? - transformed, giving way to pettiness. Somebody else had forced her to give in, and Aqua wasn’t even putting up a fight? That wasn’t fair! She had done the work to push her to that point. Where was the fun, the _joy,_ in watching her nemesis resign herself to the darkness without even raising a Keyblade to fight it?

“What the fuck happened to you?”

The words boomed in the emptiness around them; the phantom had managed to shout the words aloud, her coughing suddenly gone. Furiously, the phantom clawed at the ground, screaming at her body to move. One knee, then the other. Then, one hand on the ground to help her balance - she stood, shaking, but she stood, eyes murderous. She pressed out for a Keyblade -

None came. The phantom’s outstretched palm curled into a fist and she swore, the curse echoing endlessly in the dark. Aqua still didn’t react, yet her glazed eyes continued watching her specter. Breathing heavily, the phantom glared at her, caught between wanting to smash her face in and something else. Something...the shadow of concern. That was what it was. Had she not also been dying, the phantom might have let it fuel a rampage as it had on the beach. But now…

This wasn’t what she wanted.

“You need to answer me.”

The darkness had wrapped itself around Aqua tighter. She was closer to the edge now. In danger of falling off - falling away -

_What happens to me if she does?_

“Aqua!”

The air pulsed around them, and the glamour on Aqua broke. Her eyes blinked for the first time since opening, and she stared at the phantom, not with the blank curiosity, but with fear. In the back of her mind, the phantom registered that she had never said the Master’s name to her. A foreign feeling of relief nearly washed over her before the phantom beat it back.

“What’s wrong with you?” the phantom growled.

Aqua blinked, staring around her, suddenly panicking. “I - I - I-”

“You’re falling, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I didn’t mean to!” _She’s embarrassed._ Aqua was rightly fearing for her life, the phantom could sense it, but she was sheepish. Something deep within her thought the phantom had accused her of cheating. It almost made the phantom laugh, until searing pain shot through her and she, too, fell to the ground again, no longer able to hold herself up. _It worked, though,_ she thought to herself.

“You bitch,” the phantom muttered. “You gloat about the light, and then you go and call on the dark and expect this to, what, not happen? Get over it.”

“I can’t hold it back!” Aqua stated quickly. She was struggling now, aware how close she was. “I can’t stop it.”

“You called it,” the phantom remarked, smirking through the pain. “If you can’t control it, then I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Then teach me.”

The phantom blinked. “What was that?”

“Teach me to control it,” Aqua repeated. She had stopped struggling, her mind having realized the only logical way out of her situation. It disgusted her, but she had no choice. The phantom was right. Aqua had called on the darkness. If she couldn’t control it, she was doomed.

And the phantom knew it. So she sneered in response. “No,” she teased.

“If I fall-”

“What happens to me?” the phantom mocked. “I become very happy.”

“That’s not what you felt.”

“ _You-!_ ”

“If I fall, you die,” Aqua interrupted. “You’re dying. I’m the only one who can save you. But I can’t do that if I fall. And I know you don’t want to die.”

The phantom wanted to retort immediately, but found she couldn’t. So, when she finally said, “But I want _you_ to die,” it only came out half-heartedly.

“Then come kill me yourself,” Aqua offered.

Silence between the two, but only for a moment. The phantom didn’t have a choice, either. Her eyes narrowed. “How do you even plan on saving me?”

“I don’t have a ton of time, here.”

In spite of herself, the phantom snorted, then swore at herself for the act. _She’s not your friend._ “You expect me to teach you to master the darkness in, what, three minutes?”

“Reach out for my heart.” The phantom wanted to offer another remark, but Aqua cut her off again. “I know you know what I’m talking about. I know you have one. Like you said, you’re drawn to me. We’re connected. You can enter my heart. And I can enter yours.”

 _I don’t have a choice._ The phantom could sense the light in Aqua’s heart, though still weak. She wanted it, of course, but - no, she didn’t want it anywhere near her. Didn’t want to feel what Aqua felt in her heart. Didn’t want Aqua to feel what was in hers. But...She didn’t want to die. Not yet. Not so soon after escaping the dark. Not after refusing to work with her the first time.

“One time,” the phantom muttered. “And that’s it.”

Hesitantly, the phantom reached out for Aqua’s heart with her own. It was a foreign feeling, but within seconds, she could feel the darkness surrounding Aqua’s heart thrashing at her own. It resisted her, for a moment, but realizing that she, too, was darkness, gave way. The phantom felt their connection reigniting, then a light flashed -

The phantom’s eyes shot open, black sky before her. The darkness that had tangled at Aqua mere moments ago faded, fooled by the shadow the phantom cast over her heart. Aqua’s rush of rage in the battle suddenly filled her, images of her battle with the Seeker flashing through her mind. She could sense him now, could feel him approaching.

In Twilight Town, the Phantom stood, and at Castle Oblivion, Aqua’s eyes opened.

She had no time to think, the phantom’s memories fresh in her mind. Instincts took over. The barrier formed immediately, blocking the last strike of the clone’s attack. The blast boomed out around them, but the forcefield easily withheld, and the clone was thrown back, its mock Claymore scattering into the fog. A powerful curaga burst over Aqua, healing the phantom’s body. Aqua didn’t want to betray Saïx, but she had no choice. Betray the phantom, and the phantom would let her fall. _I need to be quick, before he realizes._ He would know. It was her Keyblades now, Stormfall and Ends of the Earth in her hands. She rushed forward -

_Sora’s face, but not his face._

_Sora’s heart -_

_No -_

_Her heart._

The phantom could feel Aqua’s hesitation from worlds away, and she growled to herself. _What are you doing? Kill it!_ She wanted to break their connection, leave Aqua to succumb to the dark, but it was too late. The Seeker had found her. Though he at first appeared threatening, he was clearly struggling to stand, Aqua’s magic and powers ultimately too much for him to handle. Had Aqua fallen, he would have won.

His eyes went wide, sensing the shift in the darkness.“What is the meaning of this?” he asked the phantom. “She should have fallen!”

His disbelief was the only opening she needed. The phantom plunged Master Keeper in the space where the Seeker’s heart should have been. He choked out air, darkness spilling out of the wound as the phantom twisted it, a wide grin on her face. This, at least, was enjoyable. “Don’t worry,” she offered him. “I’ll make sure she does.”

Vanitas and Saïx hadn’t seen her yet. She heard them clashing somewhere in the distance, mind silently cheering on Saïx. She knelt down, pressing a hand to Xion’s face, forcing herself to ignore what her eyes showed her. She felt for a pulse. _Still alive._ She could sense her heart, but it felt different. Not like the heart she had encountered before. Aqua didn’t know how to help her. She couldn’t leave her here to die, but the phantom would -

Would she, though?

 _Leave her,_ Aqua asked. _I’ll cast sleep. She won’t fight._

She didn’t hear a response.

Aqua hovered over Xion still, heart torn. She was out of time, sensing that the phantom had finished at the other end of their connection. If she stayed much longer, would the phantom run away with her body?

 _I have to go._  
  
Hating every fiber of her being, Aqua cast sleep. She pressed a hand against the girl’s cheek, a tear falling from her eye. _Please,_ she begged the phantom again. Then, she took a final look at Xion’s face, unable to resist wondering why her face looked so much like _Sora’s_ -

Aqua gasped, a sudden warmth suddenly filling her. For a moment, she could see the sunset, felt an electric connection to the two people sitting near her. It disappeared in a flash of light, and when her eyes opened again, Aqua could see small glimmers of light floating over Xion’s chest.

She blinked and returned to her body. The Seeker staggered away from her, the Keyblade that had punctured him now gone. He stumbled then fell on his face, darkness seeping out of his essence. Shaking, he raised himself onto his hands. Even now, moments away from death, he laughed haughtily, pointing a finger at her. “It seems we’ve underestimated you,” he declared.

“You almost won,” Aqua reminded him. Suddenly, she felt weak. She fell to her knees, using Terra’s Keyblade to balance. Exhausted, she pressed into the weapon, willing herself to stay awake until the Seeker had finally disappeared. “The chosen weren’t supposed to fight us,” she added.

The Seeker smirked. “So I thought. I expected a betrayal. It was why I pursued my own interests, sought my own goals.” His eyes fell on Terra’s Keyblade. “Why, after failing again, I found that I didn’t care about the plan. I could never shake the desire to know more, to seek more. I wanted to know what would happen to you should I push you to your limit. It was foolish.” He laughed. “But...perhaps I wanted one final battle with you.”

His eyes remained on Terra’s blade, rousing the ghost of Aqua’s suspicion. “We’ve only fought once before,” Aqua stated, confused and too tired to offer anything else.

The Seeker smirked. “Are you certain about that?”

His smirk etched in her sight, the Seeker faded into nothingness. Aqua tried to hold herself up for a few seconds longer, willing herself to keep going, but exhaustion claimed her once again. The dark sky faded, giving way to the sunset of twilight once more. Someone approached her, but she had nothing left to give. She fell to the earth, Keyblades disappearing in a burst of light.

***

For a moment, the phantom peered at the body beneath her, considering her choices.

It would be _so easy…_

But....

“Damn her,” she muttered.

She turned, Vanitas and Saïx still clashing. Vanitas was holding his own now, but he needed her help. No way could he last at this rate. One more attack from Saïx in Berserker mode and Vanitas would be dead. But as the phantom stepped forward, she, too, nearly crumpled from the exhaustion. Panting, she steadied herself, eyes narrowing.

_I get one attack._

An image flashed through her memory, of Aqua wrangling a horde of Heartless with a chain of golden light -

At the thought, Master Keeper hummed in her hand. The phantom glared at the weapon, more annoyed at its willingness than she had been at its dislike of her.

_It thinks I’m her._

With a roar, the phantom surged forward. The scream was enough to distract both Saïx and Vanitas, just long enough for the phantom to call on the same chains that Aqua had used. Only this time, the chains pulsed in a deep hue of violet as they clammered forth, wrapping around Saïx's body. The phantom dug her heels into the ground, pulling with all her might to keep Saïx held in place as he resisted.

“DO IT!” she screamed at Vanitas.

He didn’t need another instruction. He ran forward, screaming, and slammed Void Gear into Saïx's head. The phantom heard a crack, then watched as Saïx's body went limp. She held him still for a few more moments, then, finally, released him, falling to the ground from exhaustion.

Both she and Vanitas stayed where they were. Saïx's body lay on the ground, neither wielder ready to approach. _He isn’t dead,_ the phantom realized after a few moments. She snarled, trying to get up -

“Leave him,” Vanitas panted. “He’s out. We...we need to...need to...take him to Xehanort.”

She glared over at him, but nodded. “The other one’s dead,” she lied.

“...Good.” Using Void Gear to help himself up, Vanitas stood, glancing back at the castle in the distance. Suddenly, he laughed. The phantom’s gut sank, remembering why they were here. But that wasn’t right. She wanted to be here. She had brought them here. So why should she feel this way?

She didn’t realize it, but Master Keeper hummed in her hand again, whispering to the burgeoning light that Aqua had left in her heart.

“Let’s go get my brother.”

**_End of Part Two_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was massive (the longest one yet), but it's a major turning point for the story, one I've been building to since I began writing the fic.
> 
> Some things to quickly explain:  
> 1\. My intention with Aqua is not that she fell to darkness for using it, but rather that she didn't understand how to use it this time around - her fury drove her rather than her sorrow.  
> 2\. One of the headcanons I have concerning Xion is that one of her powers is to absorb the attack patterns of an enemy (or ally) and mirror them, which partly explains how she uses the Claymore in KH3 but then switches to the Keyblade after. So in the fight with Vanitas and the phantom, she matches their move set because of this.  
> 3\. One of the things about the union cross/Foretellers lore that I love is the massive, world-ending scale of the Keyblade War, which in KH3 was ultimately 20 people fighting in a desert away from everyone else. So as we move into the Keyblade War in this fic, I want to depict it more on this massive scale, beginning with the destruction to Twilight Town.  
> 4\. Aqua is significantly stronger than she was in the Realm of Darkness, entirely because she basically had twelve years of harsh training against the most powerful enemies. So, in the Realm of Light with two Keyblades, she's incredibly powerful - though she doesn't yet know how to control it.
> 
> That's all for now! Next up is another short interlude, and then part 3 will begin. As always, please let me know what you think in the comments below!


	14. Interlude II: Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora, Kairi, and Axel rest while figuring out their next move.

“You’re quiet.”

Sora blinked, looking up from the remains of his sea salt ice cream. Lea - Axel, he guessed - shrugged his shoulders at him, twirling an ice cream stick in his hands absentmindedly like it was one of his Chakrams. The former Nobody’s eyes were distant, as if he was lost in some sort of memory. Sora knew the feeling.

Or, rather, Roxas knew the feeling.

It was weird. The idea was that if Lea - Axel - came with him, it might awaken Roxas. But in the Caribbean, nothing. It wasn’t until yesterday, when they had all celebrated after defeating that dinosaur Heartless, that Sora felt Roxas’s heart stir within him. But it had only lasted a moment, broken when Hiro had asked if he was okay. And then they had been too busy fighting Riku - well, not Riku, but not _not_ Riku, it was too weird! Maybe he had gotten too confused about that. Maybe that was why Roxas wasn’t responding at all.

_Or maybe I just don’t have the Power of Waking._

“You’re _really_ quiet.”

Sora blinked, realizing he had let a few minutes pass while Le- _Axel_ waited patiently. Smiling sheepishly, he made to scratch behind his head, but forgot that Kairi’s head was resting against his shoulder. She gave a quiet snore as if to remind him. Blushing, he lowered his hand. “Yeah, sorry. Just got a lot of things on my mind.”

Axel snorted. “That must be new for you.”

“Hey!” Sora pouted, unable to believe what Kairi had gotten Axel to think about him in so short a time. Annoyed, he shrugged, and Kairi yawned, waking up from her nap.

“Nice to have you back, Sleeping Beauty,” Axel teased gently.

“Wrong princess,” Kairi replied sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She stretched, smiling at Sora. Happily, he realized she wasn’t moving away from him. “This world really is beautiful,” she observed. “I’m glad you convinced Donald and Goofy to let us stay a bit longer.”

Sora nodded, smiling. “I figured we’ve got time. No news from Riku or King Mickey.”

“More like no idea what you’re doing next,” Axel remarked drolly.

_This is the last time I let Donald make new friends,_ Sora reminded himself. Traveling with Axel and Kairi in addition to Donald and Goofy had ended up with Sora being the butt of far more jokes than he would have liked. Donald and Kairi had enough embarrassing stories about him to fill up three of Jiminy’s journals, and Axel - well, Axel -

_Axel likes to be a jackass._

“Hm?”

“You say something, Sora?” Kairi asked.

“No, sorry,” Sora muttered, glancing down and absently pressing a hand to his chest. _Roxas?_ Still nothing, though. Sora sighed, leaning back against the railing of the bridge.

“Hey, Axel,” Kairi said suddenly, turning her head to face him. “How’s the sunset here compare to Twilight Town?”

Axel smirked, running a hand through his hair. “Well, it is very beautiful here,” he acknowledged, gesturing to the sun setting on the horizon of San Fransokyo. “And the company’s not too bad, either,” he added with a teasing sneer. Kairi rolled her eyes. “But, it’s still got nothing on Twilight Town.”

Sora nodded. “I agree with that,” he said. Axel made a small noise, deciding against saying what Sora knew he wanted to say - that it wasn’t really Sora who agreed with him. Sora yawned, partially to get his mind off it. “We can’t stay here forever, though.”

“You’re the one leading the way,” Kairi reminded him.

Sora sighed dramatically, pressing his head into his hands. “I knooooooow!” he whined. “I told Donald and Goofy that it takes time. I can’t rush it!”

“Excuses, excuses,” Kairi teased. She smiled at him, though, placing her hand over his. “Guess we’ll just have to wait for you to figure it out.”

And so they did. Another few minutes passed by in comfortable silence, Sora’s mind wandering to speculations of where his heart would take him next. It was probably time for him to check in with Master Yen Sid, again - probably to tell him that he was wrong, that he didn’t actually have the Power of Waking. The Master had said that maybe even without a body, Roxas’s heart might free itself with Axel around, but it wasn’t working. And Sora had _tried._ Tried everything, in fact. He had even meditated for crying out loud!

He knew the problem, though. Even if he had used the Power of Waking back with Elsa and Anna, he had no idea _how_ he had used it. Everything was just one big guess. He thought it had something to do with the princesses, but now Kairi was here, so that meant nothing. And everything about that first time was just so complicated. He had been so tired, and then Aqua had been there -

“We have to go find Aqua.”

Axel and Kairi gave him an odd look, but Sora didn’t realize it quite yet. Eventually, Axel tactfully nudged him on the shoulder, an eyebrow raised. “You say something there?”

“Huh?” Sora blinked, broken out of his reverie. “Did I?”

Axel and Kairi shared a knowing look - one Sora had seen enough to start feeling a bit left out - and then, more graciously, Kairi said, “You said we should go find Aqua.”

“Huh, did I?” Sora mumbled to himself.

_You did,_ a voice echoed in his head.  
  
“Well, I do think we should go find her,” Sora started. “I _know,_ ” he added, seeing Kairi and Axel start to share another look. “But it’s been a long time since we talked to Riku and the King. Don’t you think they should have found her by now?”

Kairi started to speak, but Axel cut her off, pivoting to face Sora better. “It’s not that I don’t agree with you,” he said. “But, Power of Waking and Roxas aside, how are we even supposed to get in there?”

Sora thought about that for a second. “Well, my Keyblade can’t get us in,” he observed. “But…” Lost in thought again, Sora absentmindedly looked at Axel. Somehow, the answer dawned on him.“A dark corridor.”

Axel betrayed a glimmer of shock, but recovered quickly. “Man, you _really_ want to break the rules,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. “Guess that’s where Roxas got it.”

“But it would work, wouldn’t it?” Sora continued. “You can open one, take us there, and we-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Axel shook his hands. “First of all, keeping in mind that Master Yen Sid told me that I _really should not use them,_ what’s your plan? Just magically pop up where Aqua is?” Axel cut him off. “And, besides that, it’s not safe. It wasn’t even safe for us in the Organization, not without the coats-”

“They don’t affect me, though,” Kairi chimed in. Sora beamed, and Axel’s face fell. “And one time couldn’t hurt Sora too much.”

“God, I’m getting such bad deja vu,” Axel muttered. “You two are _just_ as bad as _them._ ”

Now, it was Kairi and Sora’s turn to share a look. “Them?” Kairi asked. “Who do you mean?”

Axel’s face darkened for a moment, but, again, it only lasted a moment. “Don’t change the subject!” He pointed his finger at them. “We were told what our mission was. In fact, we were told _not_ to go after Aqua. We _should_ be focusing on waking them- on waking _Roxas_ up!” Axel huffed, crossing his arms. “God, I hate how I always get stuck being the adult.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Lea,” Kairi shot. Axel winced, and Sora was taken aback by the irritation in Kairi’s voice. Kairi stood, planting herself between Sora and Axel. Then, gently, she placed a hand on Axel’s shoulder. “I know you want Roxas back,” Kairi said quietly. “But we’ve been to two worlds, and Sora hasn’t felt anything.” Sora’s face fell but he didn’t say anything. “But...we should at least try calling Riku and the King first, right?”

Sora wanted to object that neither of them would let them disobey Master Yen Sid either, but Kairi gave him a murderous look that he’d gotten well acquainted with in their youth. Axel sighed. “Fine,” he agreed. “But I guarantee that-”

Just then, Sora’s Gummiphone began to ring.

“Speak of the devil,” Axel observed. Sora rummaged through his pockets, pulling out the ringing device. He fumbled with it for a few seconds, still not used to working it, but finally answered the call, holding his phone out so all three could see.

“Riku?” Sora called.

The screen flickered, and then a very loud explosion echoed through the connection. Suddenly, Pence’s face swam into view. “Sora!” he shouted, the connection staticky. “Something bad is happening here!”

There were other shouts and explosions behind him. Heart pounding, Sora stood. “Pence?” he shouted. “What’s going on there?”

“Is that Twilight Town?” Axel asked, peering over Sora’s shoulder. “What the hell’s going on?”

“There’s this giant monster!” Pence shouted, pointing the camera to show what was happening. Sora’s heart sank, Kairi gasped, and Axel swore at the sight of the Guardian. “It’s really bad, Aqua can’t hold him off-”

“AQUA?” all three exclaimed.

Another explosion drowned out Pence’s answer, and the phone dropped from his hand. A few moments later, it was picked up, but an entirely different face was in the camera now.

“-really the time for this?”

“ _Vexen?_ ” Axel shouted, grabbing the phone out of Sora’s hands. “What the hell are you doing there?”

Vexen’s eyes went wide, and there was another round of shuffling before Pence’s face swam back into the frame. “You have to come quick!” Faintly, they could hear Vexen muttering in the background. Kairi mouthed his name to Axel, but he shook his head. “Before it’s too-”

The connection went dead, and Pence’s face disappeared. “Pence?” Sora fumbled with the phone again, trying to get the call back. “Hello?”

Kairi grabbed the phone from his hands, shaking her head. Sora, heart dropping, nodded, and they both turned to Axel. The redhead sighed, but he shrugged. “I guess we’re going after Aqua, then.”

The three turned to leave, but then -

Yelping in pain, Sora clutched at his heart, stumbling over his feet. “Sora!” Kairi shouted, reaching out a hand for him, but it was too late. Sora took one too many steps backward, and, flailing, fell from the bridge.

As Kairi and Axel’s voices shouted his name, an odd memory came to him - falling off a tower, but no, not a _real one,_ it was a trick -

Sora’s vision darkened, and he blacked out before he hit the water.

***

The next thing he felt was a slap across the face.

“WAKE UP!”

So, freaking out, he did, gasping for air as he shot off the ground. Eyes dazed, he summoned the Keyblade on command, trying to figure out where he was. But, feeling too threatened to wait, he did what he always did in these situations: Swing first, ask questions later.

So, he was rather surprised when his Keyblade met another.

Or, rather, two others.

“About time,” Roxas muttered grumpily, pushing Sora’s weapon out of the way. The hood of his coat had fallen back, revealing his face. Sora smiled sheepishly in response, but Roxas just rolled his eyes, turning away from him.

“Hey!” Sora called, grasping Roxas’s arms. Roxas stopped, but didn’t pull his arm back. Sora, still dizzy for no reason, brought himself in front of his Nobody, panting for air a bit. “Not that I’m not happy to see you,” he said quickly, smiling at Roxas. The Nobody’s lips twitched at the edge. “But, uh, what’s going on?”

_“What’s going on?”_  
  
Stunned, Sora whipped around, dizzying himself further. His eyes landed on another person - no, another Roxas - no, wait, he’d been through this before! “Ugh.” Moaning and gripping his head, Sora dropped to the floor. “Why me?” he whined quietly.

“What are _you doing?_ ” Ven strode over to him, his face verging on - no, wait, it was _definitely_ angry. Angry at him. “Where are you right now?”

“Uhh...to be honest, I really don’t know,” Sora offered sheepishly.

Roxas snickered. “That tracks.”

“Hey!” Sora shot him a glare; Roxas smirked in return, gesturing around. Sora followed his eyes, taking in the sights around him. “Oh, right.” He smiled at Ven, then frowned. “Uh, wait. Why are you asking me where I am?”

“Oh my god,” Roxas muttered.

“In _the real world!_ ” Ven shouted. Sora blinked, taken away by the volume, and backed away from the boy a bit. Hesitantly, he stood, eyes glancing between the annoyed Ven and the slightly amused Roxas. For a moment, he registered how weird it was that they looked so much alike. But right now -

“Uh, well, we’re in this world called San Fransokyo-”

“We?”

“He’s with Axel,” Roxas muttered. Ven and Sora both looked at the Nobody, who shrugged. “And somebody else.”

“Who else?” Ven asked, eyes darting back to Sora.

_Oh._ He looked down. _Right._ “My friend, Kairi. She’s helping me and Axel.”

“With?”

_Ven’s being really impatient,_ Sora thought. “Uh, well...we’re-”

“Trying to wake me,” Roxas answered. Sora looked at him again, and Roxas gave him a slight nod.

“Yeah.” Sora nodded, but then remembered. “Wait, no - we’re not there anymore. Something happened. Something-”

The air around the three suddenly sizzled, alive with electricity. A strong breeze wafted past them, drawing their eyes to a point in the darkness. Ven walked forward, Roxas glancing at Sora before following. “Something isn’t right,” he muttered.

Sora made to follow the two, but something to the side caught his eye. He glanced over, heart dropping to his stomach at the sight of a fourth cloaked figure, standing at the edge of the dais. Just like Roxas, they wore one of the Organization cloaks, but their hood was up. Sora couldn’t see their eyes, but they were watching him.

“Uh, guys?” Sora called. “Who’s that?”

“Who’s what?” Roxas answered.

“That.” Sora pointed.

“What are you talking about?” Roxas walked over to Sora’s side. “I don’t see anything.”

_That’s...not good,_ Sora thought, shivering. Hesitantly, he took a step toward them, but Roxas grabbed his shoulder.

“I think she’s in trouble.”

“Who?” Sora asked, eyes still trained on the cloaked figure. They felt familiar…

“Aqua is,” Ven responded, breaking Sora’s trance. “Something’s happening to her. I can feel it - _gah!_ ”

Suddenly, Ven collapsed to the ground, hands clutching his head. Sora and Roxas rushed to his side, the wind suddenly roaring. Sora, too, fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. Something was clawing at his heart - no, like something tearing out of it! Wincing, Sora’s eyes again landed on the hooded figure, eyes widening as he saw that the hood was drawn back.

It was _his_ face -

The scene before his eyes shifted, his Station of Awakening disappearing. Just like that, the pain was gone - but so was any other sensation. Panicking, Sora tried to move, but he found himself suspended in mid-air, nothing around him. Nothing except -

He looked down, watching as one woman clawed her way toward another, the air making the same sizzling sound. Sora’s heart quickened, recognizing the design on the platform below him. But who was the other-?

Another flash of light, and suddenly, Sora found himself wincing from the bright sun in front of him. For a moment, he was bewildered - had any of that really happened? It was sunset again, but -

“Sora.”

He looked to this left, seeing the cloaked figure again. Now, though, her hood was pulled back.

“Xion.”

She smiled warmly at him. Sora didn’t know how he knew her name, nor how he knew her, but suddenly, he felt recognition, intimacy - like he could barely imagine life without her. He looked around them, confused, before realizing they were in -

“Wait, what?” How had he already gotten to Twilight Town?

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Sora,” Xion said, drawing his attention back to her. “I know you’re probably confused about who I am, but-”

“I’m not!” he protested, maybe a bit too enthusiastically judging by Xion’s wide eyes. They both blushed, then awkwardly laughed it off. “I mean, you’re right. But it’s like...it’s like I know you just as well as Kairi and Riku. But I don’t even know anything about you!”

“I know,” Xion acknowledged, her smile growing a little sadder. “I guess it’s not fair. I know more about you than you do about me.”

“What do you mean?”

She shook her head. “There’ll be more time later to explain everything. But, you have two other people to wake up first,” she reminded him.

“Two others?” Bewildered, he backed away, pointing at her in shock. “Wait - you’re the last heart! The last one inside of me!” She laughed, nodding. “But...how did you get here? Did I make another Nobody accidentally?”

She looked off into the distance, smile faltering again. “Not...not you,” she said, quietly. “But...when you wake up from this, can you do me a favor?”

“Wake up?” Sora blinked again. “Wait, what happened to Roxas and Ven? And - wait, didn’t I see Aqua?” He groaned aloud. “What’s going _on_?”

“Sora.” Xion’s voice was gentle but it was still an admonishment. He stopped whining. Her voice reminded him of Kairi, which now that he thought of it...he wanted to groan again. Didn’t Kairi already have a Nobody?

“Okay, sorry,” he said, sheepishly. “Of course I’ll help you. But, can I ask, uh, where you are? Because if you woke up-” _Wait, did I use the power of waking and not realize it?_ “-that means you have a body, right? So…?”

Xion nodded, her face growing suddenly resolute. “I do. But...I have to take care of some things. I think Aqua needs my help...and, I think Ven does, too.”

“Wait, Ven?”

Suddenly, the wind began to howl around them. Their eyes met, both of them understanding that their time was up. Sora reached out his hand; Xion took it, smiling. “It was really nice to meet you, Xion,” Sora said. “But...you still haven’t told me what to do?”

“You’ll know when you wake up,” Xion told him. The wind began to pull them away from each other, and for a moment, Sora saw a glimpse of an eerily familiar castle, backlit by the night sky. Curiously, he glanced down, and saw a much different Keyblade in his grasp -

The next thing he knew, he was awake, sitting in the Gummi Ship.

Within seconds, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi were all gathered around him, badgering him about what happened and checking to make sure if he was alright. Xion was right; Sora knew what she wanted him to do. He managed to push his friends away with a few guarantees that he was fine and met Axel’s eyes. Something about his expression told Sora he already knew.

“Xion’s awake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the long wait between chapters! I've purposefully taken off some time from this fic to wait and see how Re:Mind plays out to see if I need to factor that into my ending at all/work up motivation again. Suffice to say, I have plenty of motivation again after seeing Re:Mind. I'm more or less full-on ignoring canon from this point out, especially with Xion and Roxas's returns and the presence of Roxas and Ven in Sora's heart. 
> 
> As always, let me know if you enjoyed!


	15. The Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of Aqua's battle, Organization XIII meets.

**_Part Three: In the Shadow of the Light_ **

“Well,” the phantom mused softly, eyes glancing around the circle of stone towers, “isn’t _this_ dramatic.”

“Shut up,” Vanitas growled from the tower next to her. The phantom sneered at him, hoping that the expression would assuage the unnerved feeling that had wormed its way into her heart ever since Castle Oblivion. But by now, that feeling had blossomed into full-blown anxiety. She worried that she had wandered unarmed into the lion’s den. _This isn’t right._ But it was. She had chosen to be here. This was the path she needed to take to defeat Aqua.

At least, she kept telling herself that.

Clenching her fists, her gaze transformed into an unconscious glare. Said glare fell upon the unconscious body of Saïx, suspended in mid-air at the center of the circle. Above, a few Heartless and Nobodies circled, but the darkness resonating amongst the members of Organization XIII kept them at bay. The phantom examined Saïx with bored curiosity, rather unconcerned with what was going to happen to the Nobody. All at once, the injuries she had sustained from their battle pulsed suddenly, and she ground her teeth together in irritation. No, she wasn’t too worried about _his_ fate. But…

_Do not look at him._

So she didn’t, eyes instead looking to her left. Vanitas, his helmet destroyed, had opted to cover his head with his Organization XIII hood. Ignoring the morbid curiosity telling her to look back to the center, she asked him, “What are we waiting for?”

“For everyone to get here, of course.”

It wasn’t Vanitas who answered but the blond man absentmindedly leafing through a deck of cards to her right. Vanitas hadn’t bothered explaining who was who quite yet, but the phantom had noted the shadow that had colored the man’s face when she arrived. Her eyes had narrowed then, and they narrowed again now. He didn’t meet her gaze though, instead drawing one card from the deck and examining it for several moments. “Not a good sign for you, friend,” he declared to nobody in particular. Sighing, he returned the card to the deck. “Vanitas, would you be so kind as to tell us who your new companion is?”

“We know who she is, _idiot,_ ” shot an irritated voice from three towers to his right. The phantom smirked. She liked the blonde woman, or, perhaps, she liked how much that woman hated everybody here. The ninja seemed to have the least patience for this nonsense among the present members. “She’s one of _them._ ”

“That’s where you’re wrong, sparky,” a mocking voice declared. The phantom - carefully avoiding the center of the circle - glanced to Larxene’s right to see the familiar face of Braig - or, rather, Xigbar. He pointed at the phantom. “Little miss thing over there isn’t our lost hero of light.”

“How do you know that?” Larxene cut back.

“Because a little birdy told me that her wonder twin was busy demolishing Twilight Town,” Xigbar replied, laughing. “That’s why it’s taking so long for everybody to get here. The old man wants to make sure what he heard was true.”

“And is it?” The pink-haired man next to the blonde was also studying the phantom. She glared at him, but it didn’t break his expression.

“Beats me.” Xigbar shrugged.

“If it is, I wonder why we didn’t recruit the real one instead,” the pink-haired man remarked.

At this, the phantom laughed bitterly. “That’s rich, coming from you, _Nobody,_ ” she growled. “From what I’ve been told, seems like everybody here’s just a shitty imitation of the real thing.”

“She’s got us there,” the blond-haired man observed.

“And what makes you so different?” the ninja snapped.

“Because unlike you, I actually have a heart,” the phantom answered. “Not to mention that I’m the only one around here who seems to have gotten anything done.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Vanitas muttered. The phantom glanced at him. He wasn’t looking at her, eyes fixated instead on the center, just as they had been since they arrived. _Don’t look at him,_ the phantom reminded herself.

A portal opening on the tower to Vanitas’s left cut off whatever comments were about to come her way. The phantom’s heart stopped for a moment - _Is it him?_ \- when the figure who emerged pulled back his hood, she whined“Oh, _fuck me._ Seriously? Don’t you people have enough brats already?”

Riku - and it was unmistakably Riku, but younger than the one the phantom had battled - glared over at her. “Who’s she?” he asked to the crowd at large. She ignored the strange feeling of relief that coursed through her. “I thought we had enough second-tier talent.”

“ _She_ is an anomaly,” remarked a deep voice. The phantom looked across the circle, to the tower next to Xigbar’s. Again, her breath caught, and from a corridor emerged a silver-haired man, bearing a remarkable similarity to - _Not him._ Not quite, at least. “Yet, she is also correct, having done more for our cause than some of those within our ranks.”

“Always the voice of confidence, Bossman,” Xigbar said.

“Of course, her presence has not been without its unintended consequences,” the man continued, ignoring Xigbar. “But, these are welcome developments, ones that have simplified our path forward and displayed to us the rot that has taken hold within our ranks.” At this, his eyes landed on Saïx.

“We’re down two vessels because of her, Xemnas” the pink-haired man observed. “Without Saïx and the clone-”

The other man laughed at this. “Yet, Marluxia, I see two _new_ vessels here, ready to serve the Organization,” he explained. At this, all eyes moved first to the phantom, and then to -

_Don’t look at him._

“Her? _Seriously?_ ” the ninja crossed her arms, indignant.

“What’s the matter, Larxene?” Riku’s bored voice responded. “Did you want to be the only girl again?”

“Who said anything about serving the Organization?” the phantom asked, cutting off whatever retort Larxene - who she was starting to like less and less every second - was about to give.

Xemnas gave a sarcastic laugh. “Then why would you be here?”

The phantom scoffed, avoiding his gaze. They both knew the answer to that, but the phantom wouldn’t admit it. “I brought you your traitor,” she replied, steeling her voice. “I’m just here to collect payment.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t be so humble!” Xigbar called out. “You didn’t just snag us one. You got us two!” _Don’t look._ “You _and_ Helmet Hair over there - which, by the way: loving the new look, kid.” Vanitas ignored Xigbar’s taunt, but the phantom saw him tense. Xigbar laughed, gesturing around at nothing in particular. “Man, can you believe that Saïx of all people was the one to fuck us over? Really makes you think, huh?”

“Indeed it does,” Xemnas stated, his eyes moving to Larxene and Marluxia.

“What are you looking at us for?” Larxene shot angrily. “ _We’ve_ been nothing but loyal to you!”

“This time, at least,” Luxord remarked drolly, earning a nasty swear from Larxene in return.

“If Saïx betrayed us,” Marluxia began, giving Larxene a warning look. She calmed, and he continued. “Then, it would stand to reason that Vexen has as well.”

Xemnas closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Indeed, it appears to be so. The Organization’s spies in Twilight Town confirmed that he is cavorting with an old enemy.”

“Lucky for us, Vexen’s job is done,” Xigbar added. “We don’t have much need for the replicas now.”

“ _They_ do,” Larxene pointed out. She pulled out her knives. “Let us prove our loyalty to you, Xemnas. Send me to kill him.”

“That will not be necessary.”

_Is it -_

Another corridor opened, and out walked another silver-haired man, but this one much younger. _Not him._ He lazily glanced around the Organization, eyes resting for a moment on the bodies - _don’t look_ \- in the center. “The Guardians of Light are low in numbers due to the actions taken by our guest. Allowing them to restore Roxas will ensure that our purpose remains fulfilled.”

“Now _that’s_ an even trade if I’ve ever heard of one,” Xigbar laughed. Everyone’s eyes rested again on the center, but the phantom refused to join them. Her stomach stirred uneasily. She forced her eyes shut, not able to shake the anxiety. Between...well...she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. Not even in her own thoughts. _But they’re not my thoughts,_ she reminded herself. _I don’t care what_ -

...

_Damn her._

“So that’s Sora, Riku, Mickey, Aqua, Kairi, Axel, and Roxas,” Riku observed after a moment’s silence.

“Assuming that the Guardians of Light are successful in waking Roxas, it appears to be so,” the young version of Master Xehanort replied.

“Except we’re forgetting somebody,” Luxord added.

“Pun intended?” Xigbar cocked an eyebrow, his slimy grin widening further.

Luxord continued, smirking slightly at Xigbar’s joke. “I assume the rest of you suddenly found yourself remembering dear little Xion, yes?” he asked. The phantom’s eyes narrowed, her worries clenching at her gut harder.

“Who’s that?” Riku asked.

“The clone,” Marluxia replied.

 _Shit. Shit shit shit!_ She glanced at Vanitas again, but the boy didn’t meet her eyes. _This isn’t good._ She cleared her throat just loud enough to get only his attention, but he didn’t look at her. _Shit._

“ _Seriously?_ ” Larxene shot. “It’s on their side?”

“We cannot yet say for certain,” Young Xehanort answered.

Luxord laughed, putting his cards away. “It’s only a matter of time though, isn’t it? Say what you want about numbers, but eight guardians changes the odds a bit too much for my liking. And, I for one am… _curious_ as to how we suddenly remember her.”

“It does beg the question,” Marluxia agreed. “Xion was forgotten by all of us.”  
“Indeed,” Xemnas intoned. “Following its death, No. i returned to Roxas, who in turn returned to Sora. Its heart should have remained buried in Sora, its identity concealed. Even were Sora to discover the presence of the third heart hidden within him, having never been aware of its existence, he would have no way of waking it.”

“Especially considering he can’t even wake up Roxas,” Larxene gloated.

“The Power of Waking is a mysterious power, to be sure,” Young Xehanort commented. “Yet for Xion to awaken and Roxas to remain asleep...something else has happened here.”

“What can we say? The heart’s a mysterious creature.” Xigbar laughed.

Luxord scoffed. “That may be, but I was with Saïx and Vexen shortly before this ordeal, and Xion was with them then.” This news seemed to take everyone by surprise; all eyes turned to Luxord, the phantom’s heart suddenly racing. Xemnas’s eyes narrowed, but he remained silent. Luxord smirked slightly, producing another card. “For Xion to have made her way to Sora to be awakened, she must have been brought to him by either Saïx or Vexen. Yet neither seems entirely likely. For Vexen to approach Sora, he would have had to face Axel.” There were a few murmurs of agreement at this; Xigbar and Larxene both laughed. “And as for Saïx…” he gestured to the center. “There are too many holes in this particular tale.”

Everyone was silent as they mulled Luxord’s point. Then, Xigbar pointed at the phantom. “Maybe Little Miss Thing over here has something to say?

 _Shit._ She’d done Aqua that favor, but now she was regretting it. _Should’ve killed it when I had the chance._ If they found out that she had let the clone live, she’d be floating in the center just like Saïx. Or worse. She needed a lie, but if Luxord knew that the clone had been with Saïx, it wouldn’t take much for him to figure out why one of them was here and the other wasn’t.

“Saïx sent it through a corridor,” Vanitas answered, suddenly. Shocked, the phantom glanced at him again, but quickly masked her expression. The Organization’s eyes fell on him. “We fought it,” he added. “But just before we could kill it, Saïx sent it through a corridor. We don’t know where he put it.”

Quickly, the phantom nodded. “He probably planned it all along.” She glanced back at Vanitas, who still refused to look at her, eyes still trained on the center. Her stomach turned again, and she looked away. _Is he feeling the same thing I am?_

Meanwhile, a few members made quiet sounds of acknowledgment, seeming to accept the lie. Xemnas’s eyes fell on the phantom, and she met them; after a few moments, he nodded slightly and cast his gaze elsewhere. But despite the Nobody’s domineering presence, it wasn’t he who scared her. Once Xemnas had finished his appraisal, she turned her eyes to Luxord. Instinctively, she knew that he saw through the facade. But, after a moment that seemed to last hours, he simply smirked at her and produced another deck of cards from his coat, shuffling them absentmindedly. The phantom let out a sigh of relief she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“Guess we’ll just have to ask him,” said Xigbar, finally breaking the silence. This earned a few nods from around the circle. “Still, you’ve been pretty quiet. What is it you want from us?”

“Like I said,” the phantom growled, growing irritated again, “I’m just here for what’s mine.”

“And what, exactly, is that?” came the voice she’d been dreading.

The corridor dissipated into nothingness, and _he_ strode out from it, the sole member of the Organization not to wear the cloak. His eyes - somehow more wicked than the rest - fell on her, an evil smile curling at his lips. For a moment, the phantom closed her eyes, fists clenching as a sudden, horrible spark of pain stabbed her in the heart. Memories flashed behind her eyes,, memories that Aqua detested, memories for which she would never forgive herself -

But these weren’t _her_ memories. She had laid claim to them once, demanded them as her right of existence and used them to torment Aqua, to remind her of all the horrible things she had done. But since the fight with Saïx, since fate her forced her to allow her wretched twin into her still burgeoning heart, she could no longer look back on those moments of Aqua’s life with demented glee. No - they had somehow become _her life,_ Terra and - _NO!_ \- Terra’s face now stirring regret, pain, sadness. But, infuriatingly, no anger. No rage. No fury. Even upon opening her eyes, placing them on the monster that Aqua had unknowingly let loose on the Realm of Light all those years ago, she couldn’t bring herself to muster any hatred for him, no matter how much she knew she hated him. Had Aqua kept all her anger, and left the phantom with her tears? Who was she if not a being of hate?

_Damn her!_

“Well, would you look at that?” Xigbar teased, enjoying this far too much. “The whole family’s back together at last.”

The phantom ignored him, eyes still trained on Terra-Xehanort. For a moment, a wild idea took hold of her, and she nearly stepped forward, hands grasping for her Keyblade. _I can cast him out, now, before anyone has a chance to stop me._ It was insane, but it could work - she would just need to open a portal, and -

She stopped herself, her body shaking as she held it back. The shadow of Aqua’s will still held her, and the Organization members, though silent, shared a few curious glances. Xigbar suddenly smiled wide and Xemnas smirked, and while Vanitas’s eyes remained fixed on the body floating alongside Saïx’s, Riku now rested his eyes on her, his gaze recognizing something within her.

_Not me...she’s not me…That’s not what I want…_

Finally shaking off her influence, the phantom glanced up again, eyes meeting Terra-Xehanort’s. “I want Aqua dead,” she stated again, ignoring the tightening in her gut as something within whispered _no you don’t._ She summoned Mickey’s Keyblade now, pointing it where her eyes had refused to look all this time, and even though her heart screamed - _no, not mine, hers! Not mine!_ \- as they landed on Ventus’s lifeless body, she held the gaze. “I want to destroy everything she cares about. I want to break her heart into a million pieces. And then I want to kill her.”

“All in due time.”

All eyes turned to the highest tower. Xehanort appeared at last, his expression slightly amused, his hands crossed behind his back. The Master’s yellow eyes rested on the phantom for a moment, somehow managing to peer right through her facade. _He knows,_ she realized, heart pounding again. _He knows everything._ But, if Luxord was biding his time, then the Master simply didn’t care. She was just a means to an end for him - just like he was for her. And after all -

“It appears that we have been betrayed.”

He had more important matters to attend to first.

Silence fell over the Organization members. Xehanort closed his eyes for a long time, seemingly waiting for something. Aqua watched as several eyes flickered to the still empty podium to his right. “Even more,” he began again, “it appears that, yet again, we have been bested by an unforeseen complication.”

“Is it true, then?” Xemnas asked.

Xehanort nodded. “It appears that the girl I once wrote off as a mere distraction to our ultimate goal has found a way to interrupt our plans once again.”

“And for those of us who _don’t_ speak in riddles?” Riku asked suddenly. Larxene made an agreeing sound while Marluxia nodded.

“Aqua has managed to kill Ansem,” Young Xehanort replied.

This didn’t seem to surprise anybody, most of the members having perhaps sensed the news. Xigbar, however, let out a low whistle for show. “So, where does that leave us? What happens to the plan now?”

Xehanort was silent, his eyes closed again. Terra-Xehanort, however had yet to take his eyes off the phantom. Refusing to look at him again, she kept her gaze fixed on Ventus’s body, hoping the turmoil assaulting her - _not mine!_ \- heart would exterminate Aqua’s hold on it, like pouring alcohol into a wound to kill the infection. The sight was searing, but if she could just hold out until it destroyed her, she would survive.

“In order to form the X-Blade,” Young Xehanort began at last, as if speaking for his older self, “the Seven Guardians of Light must clash with the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness to produce the X-Blade’s necessary components. Yet, it appears that Aqua’s clash with Ansem failed to produce such results.”

There were murmurs at this - Xigbar almost said something - but Xemnas beat him to it. “Yet, such an event was foreseen, though the details differed greatly.” His eyes rested on Saïx here again.

“Something about the place of it?” Marluxia offered.

Xemnas shook his head. “At the time of this confrontation, neither side had fully completed their ranks. The Guardians of Light had yet to unite, and because of No. i’s incompletion and Saïx’s betrayal, we had also failed to find thirteen suitable vessels. Because of this, a premature confrontation between the two sides was to be avoided at all costs.”

“If that’s true, then why did Ansem allow himself to be brought into a fight?” Marluxia observed.

“We believe him to have been manipulated into a confrontation,” Young Xehanort responded. “Aqua laid a trap for him, with Vexen’s help. She did not intend to let him live.”

“In which lies our problem,” Master Xehanort added. Both the young master and Xemnas glanced at their other self. “While it is true that neither side had attained the needed numbers, the destruction caused to the surrounding area suggested a battle beyond the scope of the powers of light.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Xigbar asked, suddenly incredulous.

Master Xehanort nodded, breaking his silence at last. “It appears that Aqua called upon the powers of darkness to assist her in defeating Ansem, clouding the balance in her heart so that she could no longer claim the mantle of Guardian of Light.”

“Bullshit.”

The phantom’s curse echoed in the silence of the Keyblade Graveyard, all eyes turning to hers. Xehanort, his expression amused again, looked directly across the pit to her. She had spoken without intention, the pride and vanity in her heart prompting her to admit a truth she couldn’t possibly tell this group: Aqua may have clashed with Ansem, but the phantom had struck the killing blow. _She_ had bested the Organization, not the pathetic version of herself who could barely survive a brush with the darkness. “I know Aqua’s heart,” the phantom said. _It’s mine - no it’s not! IT’S NOT!_ “She cares for her friends too much. She wants to save people. The darkness is too strong for her - it would eat her alive.”

“Yet those closer to the light than she have succumbed far too well,” Terra-Xehanort replied, his deep voice assaulting the phantom’s ears. She could still feel his eyes boring into the back of her head. “These emotions you name are not opposites of darkness, but roads not yet fully explored.”

“What can we say, kid. Love makes you do crazy things!”

Terra-Xehanort smirked at Xigbar’s joke, though the phantom knew it was only to mock her. “If she’s really so far gone, then why not bring _her_ back here?” the phantom countered, unable to let the point rest. The more she fed her pride, the easier it was to ignore the painful beating of her heart. She pointed to Marluxia now. “You said you wanted the real one instead. If she could fall to the darkness so easily, why not put her on the team?”

“What was once lost can be recovered,” Xehanort observed, seemingly unbothered by the phantom’s questioning. “The newest Keyblade Master has demonstrated that to us all on more than one occasion.”

“And if it can’t?” Marluxia asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Then the task assigned to you shall take on far more importance,” Xemnas declared. “I assume that you are nearly finished locating all seven Princesses of Heart?”

Marluxia’s lips thinned as Larxene said, “We’re getting there.”

“However, the success of such a path would be unsure.” Xehanort shook his head. “Even if the Guardians of Light remain separated, attempting to gather the Princesses while even one continues to roam the Realm of Light would be unwise.”

The phantom laughed at this, her lips curling upward into a wicked smile. This, at least, still brought her joy. “Guess I forgot to tell you guys,” she announced, opening her arms wide. “But two of your precious Guardians are trapped in the Realm of Darkness.”

She had hoped the reveal would shock the members, but again, nobody seemed surprised. Her arms fell. The brief spurt of joy gave way to a flash of rage. “Such a fate is easily reversed,” Xehanort remarked. Was she really being outmaneuvered this easily? “Manipulating the heroes of the Keyblade into saving themselves from undesirable fates is just one small part of the actions of this organization.”

“So, we need to bring Riku and Mickey back into the Realm of Light,” Marluxia observed. “And return Aqua back to the light.”

“Just long enough to allow her to claim it again,” Terra-Xehanort replied. “And then, we will tear their hearts from their bodies.”

“There’s a flaw here,” Luxord commented off-handedly. “But, I’m sure you’re about to cover it.”

Xemnas smirked, offering a laugh at this. “Indeed. With Ansem’s defeat, we are still one vessel short.”

“However…”

Xehanort pointed a hand at the empty tower between Marluxia and Luxord. For a few moments, the Organization was again silent, but then there was a tearing sound accompanied by a loud wind. Then, a faint yell grew louder and louder, reaching a fever pitch just as another cloaked member popped out of nothingness, shrieking his head off and looking around wildly.

“What the - where - what - who - wait - what happened - where am - oh, come on!” The new addition stomped his foot on the ground, his hands pressed to his head as he moaned. “So not cool! You could have called me, you know!”

“Ugh,” Larxene rolled her eyes, repulsed. “This day just keeps getting worse.”

“What do you guys want?” he whined. “I thought I was done! Saïx told me I was -” His eyes fell on the center of the pit. He moaned again, rubbing his temple. “Why is it always me?”

“Now, onto our next matter…” Xehanort ignored him, glancing first at Ventus’s lifeless body, then turning his eyes to Vanitas. “What is it that you would like to say, Vanitas?”

***

The phantom lowered Master Keeper, trying to fool herself into thinking the rapid beating of her heart was the adrenaline from her fight and not the fate she was beginning to dread. The sudden glow of the sun on the restored Land of Departure sickened her, the joy she had felt from its shine on the islands now gone completely. Hesitantly, she glanced down at Master Keeper, and upon seeing it in her blackened hands, a voice inside of her whispered, _This is wrong._

“Let’s go,” Vanitas said, his voice impatient.

“Wait.”

“What is it?” he growled, turning back to her. He smirked. “Afraid?”

“Shut up.” She dismissed the Keyblade, her stomach uneasy. _This is wrong,_ that voice whispered again. She ignored it; the effort turned her stomach faster. “What do you think is going to happen after this?”

“After what?” Vanitas’s eyes narrowed. “I thought it was obvious. We tell them Saïx is a dirty fucking liar-”

“After we get _him,_ ” the phantom interrupted. Vanitas’s eyes narrowed again. “You said you want to reunite with him. You think Xehanort is really going to let that happen?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Vanitas shot back. “That’s why I was brought back. I combine with Ventus-”

“And, what, take over his body? You _really_ want that?” Before Vanitas could respond, the phantom added, “I wouldn’t.” The words caught Vanitas off-guard. He choked down his response, glaring at the phantom, but she could see that the words had their effect. She continued, “What happens when you recombine with him? What if his heart is stronger than yours?”

“It’s not,” Vanitas shot, his tone dark.

“It was last time.” She could see Vanitas clench his fists, and she raised a hand, hoping to calm him. “I’m not trying to antagonize you.”

“Fuck off.” He turned on his heel and strode toward the castle door, passing the clone’s unconscious body on the way. The phantom glanced at it, the uneasiness only growing.

“What happens if you lose yourself to him?” the phantom called out. “Or worse?”

“What the _fuck_ are you saying?” Vanitas finally shouted, Void Gear back out as he spun around to face the phantom, eyes murderous.

“Look around,” the phantom replied, gesturing to the clone. “You told me Xehanort is collecting vessels. He just lost two, one of which is a literal fucking _clone._ What happens if you recombine with Ven-tus,” she added, eyes narrowing at the near slip, “but Xehanort overpowers you both, and you become nothing?”

“And what happens if I kill you? Will that get you to shut up?” Vanitas walked towards her, Keyblade pointed. For safety, the phantom resummoned hers, Mickey’s Keyblade appearing instead of Master Keeper. “You wanna play this fucking game? _Fine._ What happens when you kill Aqua?”

The phantom snarled, masking her realization. What _would_ happen when she killed her? “None of your goddamn business.”

Vanitas laughed, rolled his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“My future is mine,” the phantom countered. “Whatever happens, it belongs to me. But you-”

“You really still think that?” Vanitas laughed again. “Oh my god, figure it out! Your future isn’t _yours_ anymore. It’s _his,_ just like mine. It’s been his since the moment you agreed to come with me.”

The phantom’s eyes widened. _Of course._ “He sent you after me,” she muttered, dismissing her Keyblade again. _Shit._ “He knew about me before I ever left the Realm of Darkness.”

“ _Obviously._ Face it: You’re stuck with us.”

“And if I run?”

Vanitas laughed. “You’ve never actually seen how terrifying he is, have you? _She_ never actually fought him,” he reminded her. “Just an imitation. If you think you’ll last long, then leave. But you think he’s just going to let you run around after what Saïx pulled?” He gestured to the Nobody’s unconscious and broken body. “He doesn’t need you alive. It just makes things easier for him. You and me, we’re both just tools to him. I got used to it a long time ago. You should, too.”

Vanitas turned back to the castle. The phantom stood alone for a few moments, watching him walk ahead. “Fuck me,” she finally muttered, for the first time doubting her decisions. Unbeknownst to her, Vanitas was, too.

***

All eyes were on Vanitas, the phantom now realizing that their argument had shaken him as much as it had her. Finally, the boy spoke: “What are you going to do with him?”

Xehanort’s lips curled into a slight smirk, his eyes flashing with a nefarious thought. “Ah, so you had hoped to claim him for yourself?” he observed, a wheezy laugh in his voice.

“I did,” Vanitas replied, apparently unfazed by Xehanort’s mirth. “You promised me-”

“Such a promise was made before the Ansem’s death,” Terra-Xehanort intoned. “The Organization now has a need for Ventus’s body.”

“Indeed, perhaps it is the answer we have been seeking all this time,” Xemnas added.

Xigbar smiled, a realization crossing his face. “So _that’s_ what you were looking for in Castle Oblivion.”

Xemnas nodded. “Indeed. The empty body of a Keyblade wielder, in which one’s thoughts and desires could be poured, free from the influence of another heart...truly, the perfect tool for the Organization.”

“He doesn’t belong to the Organization,” Vanitas growled suddenly. “He belongs to _me._ ”

“Regretfully, this matter is not open to negotiation,” Xehanort said, his voice no longer amused. “When we defeat the Seven, I will return Ventus’s body to you. But until then-”

“You expect me to buy that?”

The phantom clenched her teeth, goosebumps spreading across her skin. Vanitas had summoned Void Gear. His hood had fallen back, revealing an expression of sheer rage. “I’ve done what you’ve said for long enough! I’m tired of playing your fucking game!” The hair on the back of the phantom’s neck raged as a wind suddenly soared across the court. “He’s _mine!_ ”

Everyone moved at once, too fast for the normal eye to see. Vanitas lunged into the air, intent to burst across the pit to strike Xehanort. Xemnas appeared in front of him, a red saber pointed at Vanitas from his outstretched palm. Before either could collided, the phantom pointed Mickey’s Keyblade at them both, casting a barrier spell that surrounded Vanitas, freezing him in mid-air but keeping him safe from Xemnas’s attack. In return, she suddenly found Terra-Xehanort pressing No Name against her back, could feel his breath on the back of her neck. A projectile suddenly swiped past her, taking a few hairs from the side of her head with it; she saw Xigbar pointing his rifles at her from the corner of her eye. The blond man who had just arrived used the chaos to summon a dark corridor, but Xehanort’s younger self cast a stop spell on him, freezing him in place. Larxene, Marluxia, and Riku had all summoned their weapons, though none of them had moved from their podiums. Only Luxord - still examining his cards, though with a much more amused expression on his face - and Master Xehanort had not reacted.

“Looks like things are finally getting interesting!” Xigbar called out after a few moments of tense silence.

The phantom kept her Keyblade up, keeping Vanitas sealed in the barrier but more importantly keeping Xemnas from attacking him. “I don’t know _why_ you think I’m the one you need to attack,” the phantom snarled in a low voice to the man behind her, “seeing as _I’m_ the one trying to keep the peace.”

“Are you really?” he murmured in reply.

Her grip on the hilt tightened, but rather than respond to him, she called out, “I’m pretty sure that if any of us kill each other, it’s going to make your plan harder, right?”

Xehanort smirked at this, giving a curt nod. Xemnas and Terra-Xehanort both flashed out of their positions, returning to their respective towers. The phantom’s face darkened, but she released the spell on Vanitas, who landed gently back on the ground. He gave the phantom a murderous glare, but she cocked an eyebrow. “Told you,” she muttered, only loud enough for him to hear it. He glared at her for a few more seconds before turning away and dismissing his Keyblade. The rest of the Organization followed suit, their weapons fading back into the space between planes; only Xehanort’s younger self retained his hold on his Keyblade, apparently not trusting the blond man to stay in place.

“Now then...”

Xehanort’s face suddenly turned dark. The air suddenly grew thick, as if his emotions controlled it “For quite some time, I have been a patient man,” he began. “The many paths which I have taken have not all borne fruit, yet their variety has been necessary to gain the foresight needed. Failure was to be expected from such a method - encouraged, even. Thus why I allowed my chosen vessels certain degrees of freedom, in the hopes that your perspectives might provide important lessons for us all.

“However…” He sighed, and Saïx’s body stirred. The Nobody made a strange choking noise, as if he was trying to speak but couldn’t. The phantom’s eyes narrowed, watching as Saïx’s body rotated through the air. His eyes widened as he realized where he was, then relaxed. He could see his fate clearly in front of him. At long last, Saïx had been outmaneuvered by the Master.

“The freedom I have granted has been abused,” Xehanort continued as Saïx’s body spun back to face him. “While I have an exorbitant amount of patience, it is, admittedly, wearing thin. The decisive hour approaches, and because of the failures and betrayals of members of this Organization - and my own, to be sure - we run the risk of the ultimate failure. Should neither the thirteen seekers of darkness nor the seven guardians of light unite, Kingdom Hearts shall remain clouded in the darkness.

“We once more number thirteen, and soon, the guardians will number seven. They will be weakened, of course. The doubts clouding the master’s heart...the injuries dealt by the darkness...the incomplete training of the two weaklings...such paths were foreseen, as always. And now, with two of their guardians within our clutches, breaking them shall be easier than ever. But, we mustn’t take any chances.”

Xehanort’s eyes landed on Saïx again, and with a wave of his hand, Saïx’s body floated toward him. Saïx, knowing better, made no attempt to resist. Gradually, he arrived at a stop mere feet away from Xehanort, who studied him not as if he was a hated prisoner, but rather a disappointing experiment.

“Some of you have no doubt assumed that even if destroyed, you will return to another life. Recompleted, as it were. Removing your fear of death prevented you from fearing the necessary steps. However, now, I feel that I must remind you all that there are fates worse than death.” At this, Xehanort summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at Saïx.

“Let this serve as an example should any of you fail me again.”

At first, nothing happened. Slowly, however, a faint ripping sound began to hum in the background. At first, the phantom thought it was similar to what had happened when the Xehanort had summoned the blond man, but then, an excruciating, bone-chilling shriek tore itself from Saïx’s lips. Whatever magic silencing him had been undone so that the Organization could hear the torture heaped onto the traitor. His body spun, the terror and excruciating pain clear in his expression, the source of the tearing sound revealed as a million cuts appeared on his body. Whatever Saïx had thought would happen, this hadn’t been it. The Nobody was being torn apart from inside out, his body flaking as the wind carried pieces of it away like shredded slips of paper. The light from the sun disappeared, but the blackness of the night sky couldn’t hide the horror that was being wrought on the Organization’s former second-in-command. His tormented screams grew louder even as his body disappeared, the tearing sound now buzzing excruciatingly around them. Soon, only his face was left, then his eyes, and then only the X on his forehead, but the screaming never stopped.

And then...Saïx was gone, the only reminder of his existence the faint echoes of his voice carried by the wind through the Keyblade Graveyard.

“Motherfucker,” Riku muttered next to her, while she heard Luxord whisper, “My god.” The phantom found herself clutching her Keyblade for dear life, suddenly trembling as she felt true fear for the first time. She stared at Xehanort, her knees quaking. _What the fuck is he?_

“W-what the fuck did you do to him?” Larxene yelled, the edge to her voice unsuccessfully masking her terror. Marluxia’s stone-faced expression similarly failed to hide the horror in his eyes. The new arrival’s skin had gone white, and a moment later, he collapsed completely. Even Xigbar seemed lost for words.

_What the hell am I doing here?_

This wasn’t worth it. She should’ve gone after Aqua alone. Whatever this was - whatever Xehanort was - it wasn’t worth the risk. She needed to run - now. She glanced at Vanitas, who, miraculously, was looking at her. _We need to go!_ She wanted to scream at him. But, he simply smirked at her, his expression repeating her own taunt from earlier: _I told you so._ “Fuck you,” she muttered. She could save herself. Let the others be damned.

But, as she made to summon a portal, the phantom, too, found herself frozen.

_No. No no no no no -_

Xehanort’s eyes - all of them, Xemnas, his younger version, the one masquerading as Terra - found her, and she knew in that instant that they had could hear her thoughts. The phantom’s eyes, wild with fear, couldn’t help but glance at Ven’s body. Her fear spiked, and, too scared to worry whether it was her fear or Aqua’s, she realized, _He’s going to make him a vessel._

_And he’s going to do the same to me._

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

The Dusk slithered its way across the badlands, Saïx’s screams still echoing as a reminder of his betrayal. The dark clouds covered the moon, but the Dusk could still sense its friend, the one who had been kind to it so long ago…

It found her watching the towers from a distance, her hood hiding the pained expression on her face. It settled in front of her, wordlessly conveying what had happened. Once it had finished, she nodded. “Thank you,” she said softly.

_...What will you do?_

For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then, a light flashed, her weapon appearing in her hands. The Dusk watched with curiosity as she raised her free hand, the wind rushing as she opened the dark corridor.

“I need to tell the others.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has very little to do with what happened in the chapter, but I really love writing dialogue for Xigbar. As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!


	16. Waking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua takes her next steps.

“Hey! There you are. I was wondering where you ran off to.”

Aqua smiled at Ventus, taking a seat next to him on the cliff overlooking the Land of Departure, the stars shimmering in the night sky above them. She could feel Ventus tense up as she sat, so she stayed silent for a few moments, knowing it was still a knee-jerk reaction. The poor boy had only been out of his coma for a few weeks now, and he still needed time to figure things out. It was as if his amnesia hadn’t just taken his memories but his basic knowledge on how to be a person.

She, Terra, and the Master had been taking a gentle approach ever since overdoing it the first week, when she and Terra had insisted on spending every waking second with Ventus, until at last the boy had finally asked them for some space. Since then, she usually only saw Ventus at meals and the occasional training session. She expected he spent more time with Terra and the Master. Knew it, in fact. She had caught him watching Terra training plenty of times over the past weeks. He had only ever come to her when he had a question about magic, which she had been more than happy to answer.

Until today, when he had asked her about memory magic.

Aqua had done her best to offer an explanation without acknowledging the elephant in the room. But, as she walked him through the basics - basics Aqua herself barely understood, her specialties being elemental and teleportation magic - she could see that Ventus wasn’t satisfied with the answers. So, after exhausting every ounce of her knowledge on memory magic, she had point-blank asked him:

“Is...is this about _your_ memories?”

Which had been the wrong move, apparently. Ventus’s face had reddened severely, then the color completely vanished. Aqua had sputtered, immediately offering apologies while Ven mumbled some half-excuses of his own before abashedly running off. That had been two hours ago. She could still sense the awkwardness hanging in the air around them, which...well, that would explain why he was so tense. _Obviously,_ she chided herself.

“It’s...it’s a really beautiful spot, isn’t it? For stargazing.” Aqua hoped the question would break the tension. Ventus jerked his head in a motion that resembled a nod, not looking - or, more likely, refusing to look - at Aqua. She continued, hoping the words would help him calm down. “I come out here every now and then. Used to a lot more when I was younger. I would sit out here for hours, mapping out all the stars and moons and everything. I did it because I thought it would help me with my magic...and, sometimes, to get away from Terra,” she added, laughing. Ventus made a quiet noise at this, and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “When I showed Master Eraqus, he told me the stars had nothing to do with my magic.” She sighed, but a smile found its way to her face. “But...he did say that it had _everything_ to do with being a Keyblade Master.”

Ventus still didn’t have a response, so Aqua let the silence stretch on. However, it did seem like some of the tension had deflated. After a few minutes, she said, “I’m really sorry about earlier. I know-”

“Don’t be,” Ventus mumbled. Aqua stopped, surprised to hear him talk. He was looking down at his feet, kicking them one at a time. “You were right,” he added. “It was about...about my memories. I’m the one who should be sorry for...for freaking out on you.”

“Hey,” she said quietly, wanting to place a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder but knowing they weren’t there yet. “You don’t have to apologize. I...I can’t imagine how hard it is for you.” Ventus nodded, eyes still down. Aqua took a deep breath and, chancing it, placed a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I’m here, if...if you need me. For whatever you need.”

Somehow - finally - she felt Ventus relax at her touch. She, too, felt the tension she had unknowingly been gathering release itself. She smiled softly, taking her hand away and looking back up at the stars. The silence stretched between the two, more comfortable now.

“Thank you.”

Aqua glanced over. “For what?”

“For...for giving me space,” Ventus mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. “I tried talking about things with Terra, but…” he shook his head. Aqua tilted her head a bit, a frown ghosting over her features. This was a surprise; she had thought Ventus liked Terra more than her. She didn’t push it, though. And Ventus finally found the words. “He gave me this tip of working through my frustration…”

“Of course he did,” Aqua muttered, the words an automatic response. As much as her relationship with Terra had evolved into a true friendship, he still had some habits that drove Aqua mad - like taking out his frustrations on as many inanimate objects as he could.

“What?”

“Nothing, sorry.” She sighed. “Terra has a way that works for him.”

“What do you do when you…?” Ventus gestured around, unable to find the word.

“Me?” Aqua thought for a moment. “Well...when I get frustrated...it’s usually about not knowing something,” she admitted. “Terra gets angry when he loses. I don’t mind it as much. But when I can’t figure something out, it drives me insane. So...I get obsessed and try to figure it out, because that’s the only thing I can think of doing to make me less angry. But, it only makes things worse.”

Surprisingly, Ventus laughed at this - or, more closely, a small sound that Aqua let herself believe was a laugh. She looked over at him, wide-eyed but smiling. “Sorry,” Ventus covered quickly. “It’s just...that’s the _exact_ thing happening to me.”

“Huh.” She hadn’t meant it, but Ventus had a point. “Guess you’re right.”

“How do we stop it, then?”

“I don’t know,” Aqua replied. “Either we find the answer...or we accept that there are some things we just can’t know yet.”

“I think I’d rather find the answer,” Ventus said.

“Me, too.” Aqua sighed. “Can I ask you something?”

“...Yeah.”

“Do you…” Aqua stopped herself, wanting to make sure she could find the right words. “If your memories come back, what will you do?”

Ventus was silent for a few moments, and Aqua worried that she had upset the boy again. But, before she could get too worked up, Ventus quietly admitted, “I guess...I don’t know.” He sighed, shaking his head. “According to Master Eraqus, I was Master...um...what’s his name?”

“Xehanort.”

“Right. Master Xehanort’s student. I know that much. And I know-” he raised his hand, and his Keyblade appeared in a flash of light. He smiled softly at the sensation, an edge of nostalgia to it. “-I know that I can summon the Keyblade. But, I don’t know anything else about that. Not about Master Xehanort, not what happened to make me lose my memories...I can’t even remember if I had friends or a family. And I had to, right? But something must have happened to them, and when I asked Master Eraqus, he just said that Master Xehanort found me alone and abandoned. No sign of my family. He said he looked, but…” he trailed off. “Anyway...I guess if I get my memories back, I would go back to training with Master Xehanort. Except…”

He glanced down. “He just left me here,” he muttered, his clutch on the Keyblade suddenly tensing a bit. “He didn’t even try to help me understand who I was before this. If I was his student...why didn’t he help me?”

Aqua reached out another comforting hand. Tears were freely falling down Ventus’s face, and now she understood. It wasn’t just that his memories were gone - it was that the one person who was supposed to care about him didn’t. He wasn’t alone - he was abandoned. Sympathetically, she slowly rubbed Ventus’s shoulder, and then found Ventus suddenly pressing himself against her, his tears splashing onto her shirt. She was frozen from surprise for a moment, but quickly recovered, wrapping her arms around him and whispering comforting words to him.

They stayed like that for some time. The shine of the moon grew a bit fainter, but the stars continued to shimmer. Ventus eventually ran out of tears, but he still didn’t move out of Aqua’s arms, and she made no effort to oust him. But, as the minutes stretched past, Ventus finally shifted out of her embrace. They remained silent, however, aside from Ventus’s occasional sniffles.

“I know it might not be what you want,” Aqua said quietly. “But...this can be your new home, now, Ventus. Terra, the Master, and I...we’ll do whatever it takes to help you, I promise.”

Ventus nodded, quiet for a few moments. “Aqua?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t remember much, but...something…” He trailed off again, then found a soft smile. “I think...You can call me Ven, if you want. Instead of Ventus.”

She smiled softly. “Okay. Ven it is.”

Ven smiled at her. “I think...I think I should go back inside, since we have to be up early tomorrow.”

“We?”

He nodded. “I was training to be a Keyblade Master before, right?” His smile grew a bit wider despite the redness in his eyes. “Whatever happened, I know that. So...maybe I should start again.”

Aqua nodded. “I think so, too. But, just so you know -Terra and I won’t take it easy on you.”

“I wouldn’t ask for it.” He stretched his arms out, then stood up. “You coming?”

She shook her head. “I think I’ll stay out here a bit longer.”

“Okay. G’night, Aqua.”

“Goodnight, Ven.”

She kept her head turned for a few moments, watching Ven walk back down the path to the castle, a smile on her face. “I’ll always be there for you, Ven,” she said quietly.

“And yet his heart remains lost.”

From deep within her subconsciousness, Aqua begged the dream to stay, to let her remain in the safety of this warm memory. But _he_ had already wormed his way into it. The world around them cracked, the sky turning black. Aqua stood, a dull sense of fear ringing in her mind as she summoned her Keyblade. Yet it wasn’t fear at the sudden nightmare, even as the monster controlling Terra’s body approached her, a cruel expression on its face. It was the fear that she wasn’t afraid of the darkness and the nightmares anymore.

Because she remembered what she had done.

“Ven’s heart is protected,” she declared. “If not by me, then by the others.”

He laughed at her mockingly. “You claim to be a Guardian of Light, yet you succumbed to the darkness within your own heart. And now, Ventus is lost to you for all time.”

“You’re wrong!’ Aqua readied herself. “I may have fallen, but I can still protect my friends.”

“And isn’t that what I did?” He asked, the low voice suddenly transforming into Terra’s. “All I did was to protect you and Ven. I used the darkness to keep you safe.”

Her eyes narrowed. “This is my dream,” she stated. Dark coils of smoke began to wrap themselves around her legs as she pointed the Keyblade at Terra. “This is my heart. You can’t control me anymore!”

“But I can.”

Arms wrapped themselves around her, restraining her. She could hear the phantom’s voice in her ear, Terra-Xehanort’s laughter echoing in the emptiness of the former Land of Departure. The phantom’s grip was gentle, but it restrained her nonetheless.

“You want to defeat him with the power of light, but you can’t,” the phantom whispered to her softly, almost seductively. “You tried time and again to let the light win...but you _saw_ what you could do with the darkness…you could end this all, here and now, if you give in again…”

Part of Aqua was terrified that she was actually considering the phantom’s manipulative words. Yet as she watched Terra-Xehanort approach her, those horrid golden eyes seemingly growing wider with each step, she could feel the hatred stirring in her heart. This monster who had taken everything from her still had hold on her friend. _I can control it now,_ she thought, ignoring the uncertainty she felt.

“With my help...we could do anything…” The phantom reached her hand down, wrapping it around the hilt of Stormfall. Aqua felt her Keyblade shudder in the phantom’s grasp, but ignored it. “All you have to do is _let it in.”_

“Yes,” Terra-Xehanort agreed, his mocking laughs only growing more intense in the din of the dark. “Let the darkness in, and forsake your dear friends to their fates.”

“I could save Ven,” Aqua whispered. “If I use it, I could save him.”

“Yes,” the phantom whispered.

Shaking, she raised the Keyblade again, the phantom guiding her. Terra-Xehanort kept on laughing, his face growing grotesque, deformed. That monster was destroying her friend from the inside out. He had taken everything from her. She could end him.

She looked down again - the phantom’s hand had disappeared -

“Destroy him,” Xehanort’s voice whispered in her ear.

Terra was gone - but Ven was back, Ven with his golden hair and his golden eyes and -

“NO!”

The scream ripped itself from Aqua’s throat, and the dream shattered. Aqua shot up from the bed, shouting the word over and over again. The computers monitoring her vitals began to ring out alarms, only adding to the chaotic din of noise started by Aqua’s screams. _He has Ven,_ she knew it, she had let him take Ven -

“Aqua!”

“Let me go!” she screamed - he had her now, he was controlling her, he was in her heart -

“Aqua, you have to calm down!”

She had let herself fall - it was all her fault - the darkness was coming for her -

A warm hand grasped hers, and through the connection, she felt a glowing light flow through her. As if a fast-acting miracle vaccine, the light spread through her, expelling the darkness that had laid claim to her heart. Aqua relaxed, but before she could register any of the sights around her, she passed out, once again consigned to sleep.

Though no more dreams came to her, it was far from peaceful. The light and the dark waged war for her heart, their clash keeping her sleep restless. But, the light eventually won out, and though the warm hand eventually left her side, another presence replaced it. This one, too, was made of light, but though its light was not pure, the darkness it had accumulated innoculated her against the remnants of the storm still desperate to have a hold on her heart.

And then, at last, she woke.

A warm smile greeted her, two strong hands clasped over hers. Aqua blinked off the remnants of sleep, feeling both exhausted yet oddly refreshed, not unlike when she had first returned to the Realm of Light.

“Hello, my friend.”

The blond man moved his chair closer, his voice soft and his eyes grateful. Aqua, for all the terror she had endured, smiled back at him. She made to sit up, but Ansem shook his head. “You need rest,” he urged. Aqua wanted to argue, but the exhaustion momentarily roared, so she obeyed, letting her head rest back against the pillow.

_I saved him._

It was a comfort, seeing her friend from the beach here with her now in the Realm of Light, safe from Xehanort’s clutches. But, the satisfaction could only last so long, and the terror hanging at the back of Aqua’s mind kept telling her that _something_ was wrong. Ansem released her hands, but they were quickly replaced by a glass of water.

“Are you strong enough to-?”

Aqua nodded slightly. She was, though her arms ached. She found that she was rather thirsty, so she downed the glass in one gulp, gasping a bit as she finished. Ansem took the glass from her, placing it on the nightstand.

“You’re Ansem,” Aqua said quietly. “You never told me, but Vexen did.”

He nodded his head. “I owe my life to you and him both,” he said. “I can never repay you for saving me.”

_Saving him._

But…

“I…” Aqua closed her eyes, recalling the specifics of what had happened. She knew that she had used the darkness, to the point that she had nearly fallen, had it not been for...for the phantom. The phantom who had haunted her, but now seemed more like an ally, and for some reason, Aqua felt a pang of fear on her behalf. Had...had something happened to her? And what was this other feeling, this even worse spectre that wouldn’t leave her thoughts? Something _awful_ had happened, having nothing to do with the destruction she had rained down on Twilight Town…

“They are okay,” Ansem assured her, guessing at her thoughts. “There were...injuries, but nothing severe beyond property damage. But the people of that world are strong. They will rebuild and find peace once more, because _you_ removed the threat.”

_But I didn’t._

She remembered that much, too - she had lost to the Seeker, the one who wore the same name as her friend here. It had been the phantom who had the strength to deal the killing blow, while Aqua had tended to her former ally - and again, that spectre of fear. _Saïx._ She barely knew the Nobody - barely trusted him - but something felt off there, too. Saïx, the phantom...they were both in danger. She could feel it.

“I…” Aqua shook her head, a few tears dropping down her cheeks, her voice weak. “I lost control. I let it get out of hand. I...I _wanted_ it to get out of hand.”

“You did what was necessary,” Ansem reminded her. “To keep millions of lives safe.”

“No. I...I can’t justify it. Not with what I did.” Ansem’s eyes dropped, a similar emotion crossing his features. “My...my teacher, Master Eraqus-” _you failed him again_ “-he...he always taught me to never strike first, to never instigate a fight, to only raise my Keyblade in defense. I could’ve let him go. I could’ve…”

“There are many actions one could have taken to prevent the mistakes of the past,” Ansem said, quietly. “What I wouldn’t give to go back and correct my failings…” he sighed. “Indeed, I feel at times that I alone carry the responsibility for all that has happened. I attempted to correct mistakes with even graver crimes, and now...all I can attempt to do is atone. For the rest of my life, that must be the path I walk.”

Aqua nodded, reaching for the man’s hand again. He took it, and they stayed like that for a few moments. _The path of atonement_...She had already agreed to that path, once, back in the Realm of Darkness. Her pledge to Maleficent to kill Xehanort for all that he had done still hung heavy in her heart. But...would the act itself cost her the little light she had remaining?

_So long as Terra and Ven are saved, I’ll consign myself to an eternity in darkness._

She had made that decision once before. And, with sudden certainty, she knew she would make it again.

One more moment in the calm before the storm.

“Am I injured?” she asked.

Ansem shook his head. “Nothing beyond the typical injuries a Keyblade Master would sustain. Between Even and Ienzo’s expertise and Donald’s magic-”

“Donald?” Aqua suddenly leaned forward, something alight in her. A mage named Donald - no way was it the same person. “Do...do you mean-”

Ansem’s eyes went wide suddenly, red flushing his cheeks. “My word,” he muttered. “I completely forgot to tell you.”

***

Her body was sore, certainly, from the battle and her confinement to the bed. Ansem had told her that the battle over Twilight Town had taken place over a day ago, a day she had spent either passed out or screaming from nightmares - nightmares that she couldn’t recall, but whose shadows she could still feel deep in her psyche. In that time, she had been brought to Radiant Garden, where everything had gone wrong so long ago. As they passed through the halls of the castle, making the short trip from the infirmary to the lab where the others had gathered, she glanced out the windows, eyes falling on the square where she and Terra had clashed once upon a time.

“Are you okay?” Ansem asked her, noticing that she had fallen back.

She nodded, trying to suppress the grimace that had crossed her face. _It’ll be over soon,_ she told herself again. She might fall again, but not until Terra and Ven were safe. And with the others -

A few feet away from the laboratory doors, they heard voices.

“-absolutely _insane,_ Kairi!”

“Lea, if we don’t go after Riku and King Mickey-”

“You really think the two of us can survive the Realm of Darkness? Look what it did to Aqua!”

She winced. That stung, even if it was true. Ansem, who had raised his hand to open the door, lowered it, awkwardly clearing his throat.

“Goofy, Donald - what do you think?”

“What - oh, come on, that’s not fair! They’re not Keyblade Wielders!”

“What happened?” Aqua asked Ansem quietly as Kairi and Lea continued their argument, neither giving Donald or Goofy much opportunity to answer. The excitement she had felt at seeing the others had vanished. “Did something happen to Riku and Mickey?”

Ansem shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

“He said something about the Realm of-”

_Oh._

_Oh no._

The King had come for her at last. Just a few minutes too late.

Aqua could feel a dull rage burn inside of her heart. She knew _exactly_ what had happened. It was _her,_ it had to be. It explained how she had made it to the Realm of Light - somehow, she must have met Riku and the King and managed to trap them down there. Whatever that odd feeling of fear had been before, however thankful she had been for the phantom’s help in Twilight Town, it vanished now. Aqua gently nudged Ansem aside and opened the door, cutting off whatever Lea and Kairi were about to shout at each other next.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence among the three of them - _five_ of them, Aqua realized, seeing Goofy and Donald standing awkwardly between Kairi and Lea, as if they were trying to keep the two from fighting. Her sudden panic over the phantom, Riku, and Mickey disappeared, replaced by the awkward tension palpable in the room. Ansem closed the door behind her, and several tense seconds passed in silence.

“Hi,” Aqua said, quietly, awkwardly. “It’s...it’s nice to meet you, both.”

Kairi and Lea, despite their argument, shared a quick glance - the kind of glance she and Terra used to share about Ven - then both gave a restrained smile. Kairi’s was more genuine, but Lea looked wary. _It makes sense._ She hadn’t seen the full scope of what she had done in Twilight Town, but he had every reason not to trust her.

“Gawrsh, Aqua. It’s real nice to see you again.”

Goofy and Donald, on the other hand, walked up to her - and, surprisingly, both embraced her. In spite of herself, Aqua smiled. She had only met the two once before, but it was like greeting older friends. She returned the hug, grateful that it only lasted a few moments.

“We’re...we’re sorry about everything that happened,” Donald said, looking down. “If we had known-”

“Don’t. It wasn’t your fault. I made the choice.” Still, some part of her wanted to agree with them - they _should’ve_ come sooner for her. Try as she might, Aqua couldn’t get that voice to disappear. She took a step back from the King’s Captain and Sorcerer, feeling suddenly cold. Her eyes glanced down, catching the thousands of scars left on her body by the Heartless. She still wore the same outfit, which in proper lighting she could see was almost nearly torn to shreds, stained with blood all over. She shuddered, closing her eyes for a moment.

_You’re in the Realm of Light. You’re safe._

But she didn’t feel like it.

Kairi cleared her throat, breaking Aqua’s panic attack. She had walked forward quietly and met Aqua’s eyes now, smiling gently at her. “Nice to meet you, Aqua,” she said, holding out a hand.

Aqua took it, surprised by the warmth she felt radiating off Kairi. She was struck by a sudden memory of the same warmth while she had wrestled with the darkness in her sleep. Had it been her? And then, another memory, of the little girl she and Mickey had saved from the Unversed in Radiant Garden all those years ago. Her eyes fell on the charm hanging from her necklace, smiling in spite of herself. “It...it really _is_ you,” she said quietly, almost unable to believe it. The same little girl from nearly twelve years ago now stood in front of her as a Keyblade wielder. “It really did work.”

“What?”

Aqua smiled, looking back at Kairi’s eyes. “It’s...a long story. But we met once before, long ago. You probably wouldn’t remember.” Kairi looked like she wanted to ask more, but as much as Aqua wanted to keep talking to her, they had to cut introductions short. There was still tension hanging in the room, even more than from Aqua’s presence. She looked at the redheaded man, remembering her conversation with Saïx in Castle Oblivion. “You must be Lea,” she stated.

He smirked at her. “Actually, the name’s Axel. Got it memorized?”

“Don’t be a prick, _Lea,”_ Kairi shot at him. Aqua glanced between the two of them, and in spite of the situation, she let out a small laugh. Another reminder of her and Terra. They both looked at her with a bit of surprise, but quickly, they smiled in return. “Aqua,” Kairi said, returning her attention to the Master. “What Donald said earlier...we’re all sorry. We...we should’ve come for you a lot sooner.”

There it was _again,_ that same feeling of anger that she wished she didn’t feel. How was Kairi supposed to know anything about what had happened to her? Aqua looked down at the ground, trying to hide her grimace. “It’s not your fault,” she mumbled, unable to take her eyes off a long scar on her thigh. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about her body, wanting to shrink and disappear so that none of them could see the damage the darkness had wrought. Even now, it felt like their eyes were poring into her.

“I know, but-”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

It was true, but her tone had been harsher than she had intended. Kairi’s face fell for a moment, but she nodded. Aqua caught her glance at Axel out of the corner of her eyes, but the two said nothing else. Aqua cleared her throat, trying to push down the ridiculous feeling floating around her heart. She didn’t need this. Not now. Not when she was finally back.

But…

“Did...something happen to Riku and the King?”

As expected, Kairi and Lea shared a look - although this time, there was a glance between Donald and Goofy, too. Lea mouthed “no” at Kairi - as if Aqua couldn’t see him perfectly - but when Kairi looked back at Aqua, she ignored his instruction. “Yes. About an hour ago, Chip and Dale called us. They lost contact with them while they were in the Realm of Darkness.”

The confirmation was somehow worse than Aqua expected. She had assumed as much, but to hear the truth now...She felt her knees tremble suddenly, violently. Luckily, Ansem caught her before she fell. The other four hurried to help her stand, but Aqua waved them off, her eyes closed as she tried to tell herself it would be okay.

But it wasn’t okay. It couldn’t be okay. It was her fault they were down there in that hell.

_It’s what they deserve._

_But it’s not!_ She screamed at that horrid voice in her head. She could almost hear the phantom laughing in her ear again, taunting her from afar. Was this sudden renewal of doubt a side effect of allowing the phantom into her heart again? Mickey had come for her, at last, but he had no way of knowing that she would have already rescued herself. He had no way of knowing that all that was left in the darkness was her phantom, waiting for the chance to trap him down there for eternity.

With a sudden agony in her heart, Aqua knew what she had to do. Every inch of her suddenly screamed at the idea, the mocking voice in her head shouting instructions to leave him down there, but she wouldn’t do that. She couldn’t do that.

“I’m fine,” she told Ansem at last. He gave her a look that said he didn’t believe her but helped her stand upright anyway. “Maybe...maybe a potion, or something.”

“Here.” Kairi extracted a bottle from her bag and handed it to her. Aqua muttered a quick thank you, then downed the potion in one gulp. Kairi bit her lip, clearly conflicted about what she wanted to say next. “I...I know you don’t want to talk about it,” she said quietly, so that only the two girls could hear. “But, we’ll find them. Riku and the King are strong, and once Sora’s awake-”

_Sora._

_Ven’s heart is with Sora._

__  
“Where is Sora?” Aqua asked quickly. Kairi blinked, then glanced back at Lea, both taken aback by the sudden change in Aqua’s disposition. “Sorry,” Aqua mumbled again, rubbing her eyes. “It’s...I haven’t been around people in a while.” The air became uncomfortable again; for all that Aqua didn’t want to talk about the past, it seemed that she was having a harder time avoiding the topic than she would have liked. “But...I saw Sora, in… _there._ He helped me save somebody. I think he even helped me get out, somehow.”

“He told us so,” Axel mentioned. “A lot, actually. Kept saying how we needed to go down there as soon as we could to - ow, what was that for?” Donald had elbowed Axel in - well, the shin, the duck only coming up to the middle of his thighs. Donald gave as subtle a gesture as he could to Aqua, and Axel’s face turned red. Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his head. “The kid, uh...he couldn’t shut up about you.”

Aqua nodded, her stomach churning again. And then, she couldn’t stop it: “Then why didn’t he come?”

The air suddenly fell out of the room at the question. Nobody could really meet her eye - except for Ansem, though he stood behind her. In fairness to him, he did place a comforting hand on her shoulder. _This isn’t important,_ Aqua tried telling herself again, but part of her wanted the answer. _Needed_ the answer. No matter how much she told herself that she was unimportant, that the Realm of Light had more pressing matters than the foolish master who had let herself fall into the dark, she needed somebody to look her in the face and tell her why it had taken them _ten years_ to even think about rescuing her.

Another door leading out of the room opened, breaking the tension between the guardians. Vexen emerged from the door, a silver haired young man at his side. Their eyes widened immediately, glancing between the six who had assembled. Vexen’s eyes landed on Aqua for a few moments - and, surprisingly, he offered her something that almost resembled a smile.

“Um...we’re...we’re ready to begin,” the younger man said awkwardly, sensing the remaining tension in the air.

Aqua glanced at Vexen, suddenly unable to look at Kairi and Axel out of shame or...something worse. Something incredibly unfair to the two of them, to be sure, but an emotion she couldn’t quiet. “Begin what?” she asked.

“You haven’t told her?” Vexen muttered.

Axel cleared his throat. “We, uh...got a little bit sidetracked. Reunions, and all, heh.”

Vexen rubbed his temples, clearly wanting to complain but thinking better of it. “No point in wasting time _now,”_ he grumbled. “Come.”

He turned, walking back through the same door from which he had emerged seconds moments ago. To the surprise of everyone else, Aqua was the first to follow, passing by the familiar-looking silver-haired boy. She could sense Axel and Kairi share another glance behind her and was glad her face was turned so that the two couldn’t see the red that colored her cheeks...and the way her fists clenched in anger.

Vexen led them into a room that was half laboratory, half operating center. Computers lined the walls in a much more organized manner than those in his makeshift lab in Castle Oblivion. Two other men Aqua didn’t recognize - one with long black dreadlocked hair tied back into a ponytail and another with short red hair - hovered over the largest computer, going over whatever information was on the screen. In the center of the room were two examination tables, not unlike the ones at Castle Oblivion. And also not unlike Castle Oblivion were the two bodies lying dormant on them both, one in the Organization’s black cloak, and the other the boy she had met so many years ago.

Aqua walked forward, a small smile coming to her face despite the uncertainty of her emotions. Sora looked at peace - happy, even, which was odd considering he was very clearly asleep. She placed a hand on his, thinking back to when she had met him all those years ago. _I thought about giving him the Keyblade,_ she remembered. But she hadn’t, too caught up in the troubles the weapon had caused between her, Terra, and Ven. Fate clearly had different ideas, though.

“So, uh...what happens now?” Axel asked from behind Aqua. Kairi moved to her side, also smiling down at her friend. Quietly, she brushed an out-of-place strand of his spiky hair.

“I’m sorry,” Aqua muttered, so that only the girl could hear. “That wasn’t fair of me, earlier.”

“You have every right to be angry,” Kairi whispered back, offering Aqua a gentle smile.

“We wait,” Vexen said, his voice back to that seemingly permanently annoyed cadence from before. “For Sora to do what he needs to do.”

“How long should it take?” Aqua asked, her eyes glancing over to the second body. He looked so much like Ven, but she had to remind herself again that he wasn’t.

“It’s...hard to say,” Ansem said, walking to the tables. “We are in a completely uncharted area of science, one that veers into matters of the heart beyond any of our understandings. We reached out to Master Yen Sid, but not even he could say for certain what would happen.”

“But, Sora has to know how to do it, right?” Axel asked again. He sounded suddenly anxious. “If Sora could wake up Xion-”

“Xion?!” Aqua gasped. She turned to Axel. “Is she awake? Where is she?”

“Huh?” Axel blinked at her, surprised at Aqua’s change in attitude and her knowledge of his friend. “Uh...no offense, Aq- _Master,”_ he corrected himself suddenly, thinking she would prefer the title. Her eyes narrowed at it, and he stumbled over a few incoherent syllables as he adjusted. “Well, uh...how do you know about Xion? Because she’s one of my best…” Axel looked down suddenly, sighing. A completely different look than the ones she had already seen took over his face, this one more forlorn and full of regret. He rubbed the back of his head again. “We all forgot about her, yeah?” he mumbled. “And you two never met...you _couldn’t_ have met…”

Aqua watched as Axel’s eyes moved to the other unconscious body, his expression only growing sadder. _He’s not coming._ She remembered Roxas saying that, when she had met him in her heart. The one he and Xion had been friends with. Aqua glanced at Roxas’s body, then back to Axel...and found, suddenly, that she had much more in common with the redhead than she had previously assumed.

“I don’t understand it,” Aqua said, her voice soft. “But...when Sora and I met in the Realm of Darkness, I think...that our hearts came into contact. And because of that, the hearts inside of his brushed with mine. All _three_ of them,” she added, looking at Roxas. “Ven’s, Roxas’s, and Xion’s…”

She sighed. “When...when I was fighting Ansem, in Twilight Town...I let myself fall to darkness.” She kept her eyes trained on Roxas’s face, letting herself believe it was Ven’s. “I...I have this connection, though. There was...I don’t know how to explain it. The Realm of Darkness, it plays tricks on you, it turns your fears against you...it made _something_ to haunt me, a phantom that looked exactly like me. But, it became something else. Something that could think and act on its own, something that had its own mind, its own...its own heart. But one that was connected to mine.

“And when I fell to darkness, she was there, in my heart. Something had happened to her, too. It was...it was over, for both of us. Except...we were able to help each other. We switched bodies, switched places, and…” Aqua clenched her fists slightly. “The phantom killed Ansem. But I was transported to another world, to a place called Castle Oblivion.” Axel’s eyes widened; the name wasn’t lost on him. “The phantom had been fighting somebody there, a Nobody called Saïx.”

“Saïx?” Axel took a step forward at this. “Why was he at Castle Oblivion?”

Aqua glanced at Vexen. The blond man gave her a curt nod. “Saïx was helping Vexen to prepare replicas for Roxas and Xion. He sent Vexen and I with Roxas’s, to bring him here after rescuing Ansem. He took Xion with him. She was there, fighting with him.”

“Wait a sec,” Goofy said, pressing his hand to his chin. “Saïx is one o’ them Organization XIII fellas, right? Why’d he letya take Roxas?”

“He…” A look of complete shock had crossed Axel’s face. “He was _helping_ us. From the inside.” He turned to look at Vexen. “That’s right, isn’t it? He was betraying the Organization. To help bring Roxas and Xion back.” Vexen nodded curtly again, not able to meet Lea’s eyes. “For how long, Vexen?” Axel asked, his voice suddenly angry.

“Since...since his recompletion,” Vexen mumbled. “He recruited me specifically to hinder Xehanort’s plans.”

“That _asshole!”_ Lea shouted. He stomped the ground, throwing his hands around wildly. “Can you believe him? He thinks - thought - when I see him, I’m going to kill him!” Huffing, Axel collapsed into a chair, crossing his arms. “All this time, we’re running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to figure out how the hell we’re going to wake Roxas and Xion up, and he’s out there acting on his own. Who the hell does he think he is?”

Nobody offered Axel a response. Sora stirred gently in his sleep, but Roxas’s replica body remained still. Axel huffed a few more times, but nobody deigned to respond to him. “Alright, fine. So Saïx was on our side the entire time. Great. Good for him.” He rolled his eyes, putting on a show to hide the actual emotions he was feeling. “I’m so happy.”

“Lea,” Kairi mumbled admonishingly. “Get to the point.”

“What?” Axel blinked. “Come on, you have to agree this is ridiculous, right? If he had just come with us from the get go, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“Except-” Vexen began, but stopped himself as Axel turned to glare at him. Vexen cleared his throat, but to his credit, he continued: “Had Saïx not come with us, we wouldn’t have been aware of Xion’s existence. Xehanort had located my notes on the replica project, the only trace of her left extant. And had he not come with Xehanort…” Vexen looked to the ground, shaking his head. “We weren’t offered much of a choice in the matter. The Master’s younger self turned us back into Nobodies almost immediately upon our recompletion. He had planned to recruit us from the beginning.”

Axel studied Vexen for a few moments, eyes narrowed. “Alright, fine,” he muttered. “But I’m _still_ hitting him in the face when I see him again. And none of this explains how Xion woke up.”

Aqua cleared her throat. “I...I think I helped her to wake up. I gave her a connection to Sora, somehow, because our hearts were still connected. But...I don’t know why that was enough.”

Axel’s face fell at this. He nodded, though, considering the words. “She doesn’t know where we are, does she?” he muttered. “Probably doesn’t even want to see us, after what we did to her.”

“Before we came here, though,” Kairi said. “Something happened with Sora. He almost fell off the bridge in San Fransokyo, and when he woke up, he suddenly knew about Xion. It must have happened at the same time.”

“I...I did feel something, when it happened,” Aqua replied. “I think. It was like...like I could feel the sunset. And I had this feeling, of sitting next to my two closest friends. Almost like I was with...” She trailed off, not able to say their names. Not now, when they were both still lost to her.

“The clocktower,” Ansem muttered. All eyes turned to him. The man’s eyes went down to the ground, shame on his face. “In the data Twilight Town where I….where I imprisoned Roxas. He fell from the clock tower.”

“I heard Roxas’s voice, once,” Kairi replied quickly. “I could almost sense something happening to him, like he was falling. And if Sora fell-”

“It jogged Roxas’s memories,” Axel said suddenly, standing up. “But if Roxas’s heart didn’t have a place to go-”

“Xion’s woke up, instead,” Aqua concluded. “Because _I_ knew she had a body. I saw it in front of me. But Sora was the one to wake her up.”

They all looked at Sora, then at Roxas.

“But how do we…?” Axel mumbled. He rubbed his temple, looking at Ansem and his former apprentices. “What do we do?”

The silver-haired young man cleared his throat. “Well, we’ve done our best to reconstruct Roxas’s body. And with the data from Sora’s heart, combined with the data collected from the fake Twilight Town, we’re hoping that it stirs a reconnection. But…” He sighed. “Something like this has never been attempted before. Unlocking a heart from one body and moving it to another, without damaging either body in the process...it might be beyond our means. Beyond what we’ve already done, there’s...there’s not much we _can_ do.”

“Not we,” Kairi said quietly. “Sora. He’ll know what to do.”

Axel nodded, and silence stretched again. Ansem and his apprentices began to have quiet conversations amongst themselves while the three guardians and the King’s friends waited alongside the two sleeping boys. Axel moved to stand alongside Roxas’s body, and after a while, he placed a hand on his shoulder. Kairi took Sora’s hand, nudging his body a bit so that she could sit next to him on the chair.

“Roxas...looks a lot like Ven,” Aqua said to Axel. “Every time I’ve seen him, I can’t get that thought out of my head.”

Axel nodded. “I know.” He sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. “I don’t know if he ever told you, but I met Ven, once.”

“You did?”

“Yup. Right here, in Radiant Garden. We ended up sparring with each other. Kid kicked my ass.” Axel laughed. A smile curled at Aqua’s lips. “I told him we were friends after that. Saw the look on his face, like I was the first person to tell him that.” He saw Aqua’s face fall, and quickly waved his hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just-”

“No, I know,” Aqua muttered, shaking her head. “We…” she sighed, still angry with herself ten years after the fact. “It doesn’t matter.”

Axel bit his lip, but didn’t push it. “Yeah...I thought I would see him again. I never did, technically, but when Xemnas brought Roxas to me, it was like...it was like my old friend had come back. Even though I was a Nobody, part of me felt like I had to take care of this kid. I owed him that. Because we were friends.” Axel looked at Sora. “If I had known then, that Roxas had Ven’s heart with him...that he was with Sora this entire time...”

“I know.” Aqua absentmindedly reached for her Wayfinder, forgetting for a moment that it was still lost to her. “The first thing I did when I came back was to go find him. The world you know as Castle Oblivion...that’s where I put Ven. It used to be my home, the Land of Departure. I locked it away after Xehanort...after everything that happened, to keep it safe. To keep Ven safe. But I lost the key. Without it, I can’t even get to his body. But...maybe Sora can wake him up now?” She looked at Sora’s sleeping form. “If he can get to Xion and Roxas, then why can’t he get to Ven?”

Axel shrugged. “I wish I knew. Even with Xion back, I...I still feel like...well…”

“Like you couldn’t keep them safe.”

Axel blinked once in surprise, eyes meeting Aqua’s. “Yeah,” he said. “I failed them. All I really want is just...well, for things to go back to how they were. To sit with them on the clocktower, talking about our day, eating ice cream…”

“Except it can’t go back to how it was,” Aqua acknowledged. “The past is the past. We can only move on by making things right.”

“Yeah. Trust me, when Roxas wakes up, he’s never going to stop hearing how sorry I am for everything.” Axel sighed, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a short wooden stick, unremarkable to Aqua, but one he studied deeply for a few moments. Under the right light, she could make out the word “WINNER” printed on it. “Guess I never told him that I found one,” he muttered, pressing it into Roxas’s palm. “Come on, buddy,” he mumbled. “I know you’re in there. Just...just wake up.”

Aqua looked at Roxas’s still unawakened body, her mind and heart still convinced that it was Ven’s. “I’m so late,” she mumbled, wishing that Ven could understand how sorry she was. And then there was still Terra - still possessed by Xehanort. Even if she had his Keyblade and his armor, his heart was still missing. And...her hand had drifted absentmindedly to reach for her Wayfinder, but the charm was still gone, still missing. Ever since she had lost it, she had felt farther away from saving Ven and Terra here, in the Realm of Light, than she ever had in the Realm of Darkness.

And now...

Aqua cleared her throat. “I...have to do something,” she announced, avoiding anyone else’s eyes. “Let me know if anything changes.”

“Aqua, wait.”

Kairi’s voice stopped her. Aqua paused, not turning around, still trying to hide her lie.

“I’m coming with you.”

Aqua turned, seeing the determined look on Kairi’s face. “Kairi, I’m-”

“You’re not going back down there alone,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Axel looked up. Realization crossed his face and he put his head in his hands. “We’re not doing this again,” he muttered. “Listen, what we need to do now is wait for Sora and Roxas-”

“Every second we wait is an eternity in the dark,” Aqua stated, cutting him off. She looked back at Kairi. “And it’s not safe for you down there. _Any_ of you,” she added to the room at large. “It’s my fault they’re down there. I have to go help them.”

Ansem and his former apprentices made a point of hovering over the computers, none of them speaking but all eagerly avoiding the argument developing between Axel, Kairi, and Aqua. Kairi stared pointedly at her, and Axel’s eyes flickered between the two of them. “How do you plan on getting down there?” Kairi asked.

Aqua opened her mouth to respond, until she realized that she didn’t have an answer. For how easily she had fallen all those years ago, it had never occurred to her that entering the Realm of Darkness on purpose was a completely different affair than entering it accidentally. _If it took Mickey ten years…_ The voice that wanted to shout out blame for everyone churned at that thought, but it had to be true. The only people she had seen down there besides Mickey had been people who had fallen there - Riku, Ansem, Maleficent -

_There are three ways to leave this Realm._

_The second is a dark corridor._

“Vexen,” Aqua announced. She turned, catching the blond man flinching at her voice. “Can you still open a dark corridor?”

“Vexen,” Axel warned, standing up. “Don’t answer that-”

Aqua summoned Stormfall, pointing it at Axel, her eyes still fixed to Vexen. The Nobody had yet to turn around and face her, while Axel raised his hands defensively. “Aqua, we can’t just leave Sora and Roxas - and Yen Sid-”

“Vexen.” Aqua’s voice was calm. “Can you open a dark corridor to the Realm of Darkness?”

“I…” Vexen cleared his throat, turning around. “Yes. But it would be _extremely-”_ Aqua narrowed her eyes. Vexen gulped, and nodded. “Yes. I can take you there.”

“Aqua, in your current state-” Ansem stepped forward but stopped as Aqua looked at him. He raised his hands, shaking his head. “You still haven’t recovered. To go back so soon-”

“Which is why she shouldn’t go alone!” Kairi argued, her voice irritated. She stood at Aqua’s side. “Axel and I will go with her, and Vexen - and if anything happens, then Sora and Roxas can come after us.” Aqua turned her head to look at Kairi, wanting to protest - but the girl grabbed her hand and stared right back at her. “We let you fight the darkness alone for ten years. From now on, we’ll go together.”


	17. Down Once More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua returns to the Realm of Darkness.

Roaring, Riku surged toward her. For a moment, he was victorious - the weight in his hand proved that Braveheart had returned to him, and Maleficent hadn’t put up a single defense. He swung, hoping to cut the witch down in one fell swoop. But when he turned to admire his handiwork, he found that Maleficent remained standing, observing him with a curious expression lingering on boredom.

Her steely gray eyes floated to his weapon, but before she could offer a reaction beyond this, Riku charged her again. This time he was certain - no! Befuddled and growing angrier by the second, he swore, firing a dark firaga at the fairy. This time, he could see how she managed to block him -

The fire simply disappeared mere inches away from Maleficent’s face.

Riku was no fool - Maleficent had made no move to deflect the attack, uttered no spell. She was powerful, but not this powerful. He couldn’t do anything to harm her. Not yet, at least. And she hadn’t even attempted to taunt him...Now that rage gave way to reason, he could see that this was decidedly not Maleficent - at least not as Riku remembered her. He backed away, keeping Braveheart ready as he watched his opponent, eyes flickering between her and the body of his friend. “What did you do to him?” he asked cautiously.

Maleficent’s eyes once more affixed themselves to his weapon. Silence lapsed between the two, and just as Riku was about to demand a response, she spoke. “So, you have come for her.”

“Her?” Riku’s eyes went wide, suddenly distracted from his concern for Mickey. He tightened his stance, drawing Braveheart back, ready to strike again. “Where is she?” Then, remembering - “Did you do that to her?”

“You bear a resemblance to him,” Maleficent responded, ignoring Riku’s question.

“What?”

Her eyes clouded over for a moment, gone before Riku could register the shift. Slowly, she stepped towards him; despite himself, Riku instinctively stepped back. Maleficent halted. “Another Keyblade Master,” she mused softly. “And one who seems to know me. How curious.”

 _What the hell is she talking about?_ Riku grit his teeth together in frustration. He had no control over this conversation, no way of forcing her to talk. Unless he...Sighing, he lowered his Keyblade. Maleficent blinked, but otherwise her expression didn’t budge. “So, you are Maleficent, then.”

She waited a moment, but gave a curt nod. “You wield the power of darkness,” she observed. “A Keyblade Master, versed in the art of darkness...And with a resemblance…”

Riku’s stomach unsettled. Maleficent’s voice had gained an edge to it with the last words. “Resemblance to who?”

“To _him,”_ Maleficent whispered, voice darkening.

Riku understood - he knew enough about the world by now to know when Xehanort was involved. Especially when he had unwittingly been a part of the old man’s schemes. He stepped back again, raising his hands. “I’m not Xehanort,” he stated quickly. Maleficent’s features sharpened at the name; wind whistled past Riku’s ear. “My name is Riku.” He hesitated, not sure what he could say to convince her that he posed no threat. “My friend,” he said, pointing to Mickey’s unconscious body, “Is he okay?”

Slowly, Maleficent turned her head to gaze at Mickey’s body. She looked back to Riku, her expression calculating. For a moment, he was relieved. If she could sense the darkness in him, then surely she could sense the light in his friend. He could, even if it was growing fainter with each passing second. _Damn it!_ “He’s hurt,” Riku added quickly, mentally cursing himself for breaking Maleficent’s reverie. “I need to help him.”

“You do not possess the means to heal him.”

“What do you mean?”

“The scope of his injuries extend beyond the extent of your healing magic,” she answered. Riku’s heart sank. “He is moments away from-”

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” he shot quickly. He stepped forward abruptly; Maleficent arched an eyebrow. Abandoning all ceremony, Riku ran toward Mickey, and Maleficent stepped out of his way, observing the Keyblade Master as he tended to his friend.

Yes...she had been clouded by the darkness within him, had sensed _his_ presence. Yet the concern for his friend, whose being radiated light even in such a weakened state...She could see now. The darkness didn’t cloud his heart but worked with it. And the stench of that creature only lingered. He, too, had been a victim at one point. Maleficent’s feeble heart beat weakly in her chest. _I’m still unused to this feeling,_ she thought, eyes watching as Riku summoned all of his mana to cure the mouse. _Of...of caring for others…_

Swearing, Riku stood. _He sees now._ The mouse was beyond their help -

The wind rushed again, a shade rippling feet from them. Maleficent blinked, watching as Riku opened a dark corridor. The sizzling darkness spun in front of them. _So he has mastery over the corridors,_ she thought. _But in his current state…_

Riku leant down to lift Mickey into his arms, but she placed a hand on his shoulder, halting him. “I do not recommend taking those paths,” she advised.

Riku glanced at her. “I need to get him to the Realm of Light.”

“The dark corridors-”

“Don’t hurt me,” he shot.

“It is not you for whom I worry,” Maleficent said, though she couldn’t be certain of that. “Your friend will not survive if you take him through the corridors.”

“He won’t survive if I leave him here!” Riku responded, flinging Maleficent’s hand off him. He reached for Mickey again, but he hesitated, considering Maleficent’s words. She watched as the struggle played out over his face, but at last, he acquiesced. The corridor disappeared. “What am I supposed to do?” he muttered.

“Riku!”

Both witch and master spun at the voice shouting far too loudly to be safe in the Realm of Darkness. Four figures approached, two clad in black cloaks, one in a suit of bronzed red armor, and one unarmed. The shortest of them, the teenage girl bearing no protection against the darkness, ran forward, her hands outstretched, shouting Riku’s name again. Riku said something in disbelief - her name, no doubt - but Maleficent’s eyes fell on the blue-haired woman cautiously standing behind the others. For a moment, Maleficent felt...well...something stir in her. She would call it joy, perhaps, in another life. But it was not alone. There was also the fading light in the master’s heart, the uncertainty in her convictions.

Nonetheless, Maleficent slowly strode forward. Riku might have said something to stop her, but she paid him no mind, instead stopping a few feet away from Aqua. The Keyblade Master smiled softly at the dark fairy, trying to hide the battle raging within her. “Hello, Maleficent,” she said softly. “I promised I’d come back for you.”

***

It was more horrible than she could have imagined.

Her lungs suddenly opened again as they emerged from the corridor, sweet, beautiful air filling them as her knees trembled. Vexen was kind enough to help steady her, but as Aqua lowered her visor, the air in her lungs turned to tar. Every instinct she had was screaming at her to turn around and run back through the nothingness to the lab in Radiant Garden. How could she have brought herself back to this hell so willingly?

_Because it’s where I belong._

And then there was that voice, still mocking her from within, the one she kept trying to quiet, the one she disagreed with so vehemently. She couldn’t agree with it. She hoped she didn’t agree with it. But...No, it would only get worse. “Thank you,” she muttered to Vexen, knowing the man was uncomfortable with how long she had been balanced against him. He cleared his throat, stepping away. Kairi and Axel had both averted their eyes for a moment, for which she was grateful, but now they looked at her again.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Aqua asked Kairi, her voice low. Already, her heart was racing, that dreadfully familiar sensation of being watched and hunted at every turn already returning to her.

Kairi nodded. “I told you both earlier - the darkness doesn’t affect me. I’m a Princess of Heart.”

 _So was Elsa,_ Aqua thought darkly. But Kairi had reassured her that the clothes offered her protection from the darkness. Nonetheless - “Okay, I believe you,” the master muttered in return, closing her eyes. Her head hurt - had she always had a migraine when she had been down here? She had been injured so many times that she had grown numb to anything that wasn’t a life-threatening pain…

_Run, run, run!_

“So...which way do we go?” Axel asked, matching Aqua’s quiet volume from before. He scanned around them, eyes a bit wary. Aqua found herself wishing that she had listened to him earlier. They shouldn’t have come down here. But Riku needed them. Mickey needed them. And it was her fault, _all her fault -_

“Kairi, can you sense Riku anywhere?” Aqua asked.

“Um...I can try.”

“Okay.” She saw the look on Axel’s face and quickly explained. “When Mickey first found me, he said it was because he could sense a light down here. Kairi knows Riku the best, so…”

“And what about Mickey?” Axel asked.

_What about him?!_

“Give me a moment,” Aqua said. “Wait. You and Vexen - figure out what’s around us. This place… _changes,_ it morphs. Things don’t stay where they’re supposed to. But maybe we’re close to where I left the message. It was a beach, and there were these rock arches in the water...I could see the moon.”

She stopped, seeing Axel wipe the confused look from his face a second too late. “...Got it. Not seeing much moon around here, though.”

“Don’t go too far,” Aqua cautioned. “And don’t summon your Keyblade unless you have to - they’re drawn to it.” Axel’s lips thinned, but he nodded. He walked over to where Vexen was, and the two began to sweep the perimeter.

“Can you feel anything?” Kairi asked her.

“Just…” Her headache was getting worse. She _must_ have had this when she was here before and had just never noticed it. But she needed to focus now - needed to try and sense Mickey somehow through the layers upon layers of thickening darkness. She closed her eyes, breathing in deep, begging her heart and mind to give her just five seconds to reach out and try to find a light -

But nothing came. She couldn’t sense anything.

No - no, she could! It was faint - it was fading! “We have to go, now!” Aqua shouted. She could feel Mickey’s light, but it was close to extinguishing. Her heart pounded in her ears as she turned wildly, trying to figure out which way -

“There!” Kairi pointed to her right and Aqua spun to the direction. “I think - I think that’s where Riku is!”

“What’re we waiting for then?” Axel said. The girls nodded and started running in that direction, Axel and Vexen on their tails, until -

It seemed as if the entire realm itself converged on them. Shadows suddenly swarmed them, from above, around, and below. Hundreds of glowing eyes poked through the darkness, staring, observing, waiting - and hungry. Hungry for the light of the Princess of Heart they had just led into the darkness of hell.

The four sped to a stop. Aqua’s knees began shaking again at the sight of the Heartless, and suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. There were so many - more than she had ever seen in a single swarm. And she’d led Kairi, Axel, and Vexen straight to them! Her vision started clouding as the migraine grew intense, rapidly worsening. She could barely keep her balance, and the Heartless were starting to move in for an attack, the phantom’s face all around her -

_You can fight them, Aqua._

But Terra’s voice found her, the last remnants of his will still with her so long as she clad herself in his armor. She steadied herself, the panic and the trauma giving way to the need to fight. She couldn’t give up yet. She snapped the visor into place around her head, and when she drew her Keyblades, Ends of the Earth felt strong and steadying in her hands.

“Guess we can summon Keyblades now, huh?” Axel shouted, already spinning Flame Liberator.

“Form up!” Aqua shouted. “We fight them together!”

“Got it!”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

And so they did. Axel’s fire magic and Kairi’s light magic blazed through the darkness, decimating Heartless after Heartless, their Keyblades slashing through any that dared to get too close. Vexen, though not the target of the Heartless’s desire due to his lack of a heart, and clearly shaken by the prospect of battle, nonetheless did his part to help. He kept watch from the center, summoning ice barriers to defend the others as they fought back wave after wave. Every now and then, he was able to summon a crowd of Dusks to distract the Heartless so the three Keyblade wielders could heal or regroup.

But Aqua - with two Keyblades and twelve years’ experience in fighting the hordes in the Realm of Darkness - surpassed them all. Though initially paralyzed by her fear, this instinct to fight, once taken, propelled her forward - just as it had in Twilight Town. But here, she could unleash the full spectrum of her power, without fear of the damage it could cause but now with an awareness of how close she brushed to the darkness. She monitored that urge in the back of her mind, sacrificing a bit of strength - but still slicing through the lesser Heartless with ease. Every time she felt the urge to give in to the phantom’s power, she retreated back to Vexen’s side, mustering her powerful defensive magic to give the Nobody a break. And when she was finished, it was back to the frontline, portaling through the horde with both Keyblades ablaze, grand magic bursting above her with ease.

It was exhilarating.

Until it was over.

Nobody had any sense how much time had passed - but all four slumped to the ground in exhaustion, their mana too drained for anyone to muster even a weak cure spell. Except for Aqua. She continued to surge forward, her weapons still swinging, eyes murderous with the intent to destroy every last being this realm had to offer, and she wouldn’t stop, she couldn’t stop, they were coming for her still -

“Aqua!”

But Kairi’s voice - raspy from shouting out spells but still able to reach her - pulled her back. The Keyblade Master stopped, realizing she had strayed farther away from the group. She stared in front of her, a massive hole carved into the face of the rock she had been obliterating in place of the Heartless. And suddenly, her hands shook, fearful of her own power, Terra’s voice no longer able to comfort her now that she had come down from the ecstasy of the battle.

 _I almost lost control again._ She had fought to monitor it, but - no...she had come too close, again. She dropped to her knees, her energy suddenly completely drained. Her Keyblades disappeared back into the space between as she panted, her sight fading in and out, her heart nearly bursting through her chest. She heard slow footsteps behind her, and then a hand - Kairi’s hand - on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

_No._

“Yes,” Aqua lied, her voice soft, her throat sore from yelling. Slowly, she tried to stand, catching a glimpse of Kairi’s stricken-white face. “Are...Kairi, are you okay?”

“...Yeah.” Kairi looked away, clearly lying herself. She dismissed Destiny’s Embrace, her hands visibly shaking in a way that Aqua hadn’t seen before. The Keyblade Master looked further and saw Axel with his head to the ground, his hair messed up and parts of his cloak singed from the Flame Cores that had been drawn to him. The silence of the darkness around her and the instincts it had given her allowed her to hear him mumbling, “Bad… _bad_ idea…” under his breath.

“You…” Aqua closed her eyes, feeling an odd mixture of shame and anger directed at herself - but outward, too, at a source she couldn’t figure out. She should have listened to Axel - he and Kairi were nowhere near ready to fight like this, to battle hordes of this size and strength. No matter how much training they had completed, they were nowhere near emotionally ready for this. If it hadn’t been for her -

“We’re fine,” Kairi muttered, sensing Aqua’s thoughts. “We...we just haven’t fought like that before.”

“Kairi-”

“Don’t. I...I can handle it.” The girl mustered as close to a determined look on her face as she could. “If you could...if Sora and Riku can...then so can I.”

And for a moment, Aqua could see herself standing there, years younger than she was, when she felt Master Eraqus leaving her behind for Terra. And her determination then to get better - to not be left behind her friend. Somehow, with this vision, her heart settled. Aqua nodded, suddenly able to breathe normally again, and stepped closer to Kairi, this time being the one to place a settling hand on Kairi’s shoulder.

“When this is over,” Aqua said so that only the two of them could hear, “you...you should come train with me.”

Kairi looked up, blinking, confused for a moment. But, then, she smiled, color returning to her face. “Let’s find Riku and Mickey first.”

And so - after using some of their remaining supplies to regain energy and strength - the four walked forward, the Organization coats and Terra’s cape billowing in the gentle breeze of the Realm of Darkness. It seemed that the massive horde had been all the Realm could muster to fight them. Perhaps it could sense their strength, even as Axel continued to mumble half-sarcastic, half-serious asides about their experiences. Perhaps it had remembered the Master who defeated it at every turn, even as Aqua once again began to panic, her grasp on Mickey’s weak light fading faster and faster.

And then, clear as day -

“Maleficent!”

***

And now, here they were. Kairi ran forward, latching her arms around Riku who, gently, returned the embrace. Maleficent’s lips resembled the ghost of a sad smile as she stared at Aqua, but just as she was about to say something in response to her greeting -

“Mickey,” Riku said, his voice breathless.

And all eyes turned to Mickey, lying unconscious on the ground. “ _Shit,”_ Axel muttered as Aqua and Vexen pushed forward, leaning down over the King. “What the hell happened to him?”

“It...it was…” Aqua felt Riku’s eyes on her, and she glanced over at him.

“My phantom,” Aqua finished for him. She looked down at the King’s injuries, angry with herself for not stopping her clone. That voice that wanted to place all the blame on Mickey disappeared, replaced by one that tormented her for failing to stop this from happening to him. _I should’ve stayed to make sure she was dead._

_I left her here to kill innocents._

_Just like I did with Terra._

A hot tear ran its way down Aqua’s face. She knew what that voice was, the one that kept voicing her worst emotions and desires. The phantom had said she was Aqua’s worst desires and thoughts, and she had to admit the truth to herself now. That no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t help but blame Mickey for leaving her down here. And the phantom had transformed that horrible desire into an even worse reality.

_His blood is on my hands._

_If he dies…_

She would never forgive herself.

“Cure magic isn’t working,” she muttered, the green light fading.

“His injuries are extensive,” Vexen noted. “I can do what I can to help, but we have to get him back to Radiant Garden.”

“Isn’t that-” Riku asked Kairi.

“He’s on our side now,” Kairi replied under her breath. She looked over at Maleficent, silently watching them. “Is that-”

“Long story.”

“Doesn’t he have a special Keyblade, though?” Axel asked. “Can’t we just, I dunno...try to summon it, or something?”

“No.” Aqua ground her teeth together. “She took it. That’s the only way she could’ve escaped. We have to open a corridor, now!”

“If we take him through a corridor, he might not survive,” Riku explained. “That’s what…” his voice trailed off again, turning to glance at Maleficent.

Aqua, too, glanced at the dark fairy. “Worse than this realm itself,” she repeated. Maleficent gave a curt nod. No Keyblade of Darkness, no Corridors of Darkness - “But if I have a connection - I can open a door-”

In a flash of light, Stormfall appeared in her grip. Mustering all the hope in her heart, she stood, pointing the weapon at the space in front of her. _A connection,_ she begged herself, _any connection, please -_

And where the Keyblade pointed -

A corridor appeared.

A Corridor of Darkness.

Immediately, the four Keyblade wielders backed away, summoning their weapons as they defensively encircled Mickey and Vexen. Vexen stayed knelt down, using his medical expertise to tend to as many of Mickey’s wounds as he could in the hopes of keeping the King alive. “Maleficent, get closer!” Aqua told the fairy, but she stayed where she was behind the group, her steely gray eyes on the swirling darkness before them.

“Wait, isn’t Maleficent-”

“No time to explain,” Aqua interrupted harshly, cutting Axel off. “Get ready.”

“Jeez, just asking,” he muttered.

The darkness disappeared, and from it a man in a black cloak appeared. He stood for a moment, his face covered as he surveyed the four guardians gathered around their fallen comrade. And then he laughed, a soft sound, but one that still boiled Aqua’s blood, made her anger and hate swell, nearly made her rush forward -

But she held herself in place. _Not here. Not now. Not while Mickey’s life is in danger._

However -

Maleficent didn’t.

“ _You.”_ Just one syllable, but the dark fairy’s voice was seething. She strode forward, her face suddenly more furious than Aqua had ever seen. For a moment, she resembled the dark version of herself, her skin suddenly pallid and her eyes dark with fire. She pushed past the Keyblade wielders, their protests falling on deaf ears, and rose her hand, pointing at the man. “How _dare_ you show your face to me.”

The man laughed again, lowering his hood to reveal a mane of silver hair, and a face nearly as young as Riku’s. His tan skin complimented it, and his golden eyes stared at them all, but settled especially on Maleficent. And while the fairy might know who he was, Aqua had never seen this person before. At least, she hadn’t seen this _version_ of him.

“I apologize,” he said, his voice a slow drawl, “but, this doesn’t concern you...whoever _you_ are,” he added, tilting his head with a smirk. Aqua stepped forward, reaching a hand out for Maleficent, but she brushed it back, her entire being trembling with anger. Aqua’s eyes found their ways to the back of her brown robe, remembering the sight of the scars where her wings once stood -

_It was a Keyblade Master who did this to me!_

“Xehanort,” Aqua breathed. Her grip on her weapons nearly broke through the handles. Darkness began to swirl around her, and for a second, her vision went wild again. She took a step forward -

“Yes. Attack me,” the young Xehanort drawled again. “Give in to your darkness.”

\- but she had just enough sense left to hold herself back, even as every inch of her raged in fury, ordering her to attack. But her fury couldn’t possibly match that of Maleficent, who flung her hands out to the side, dark magic gathering at her fingertips. Aqua looked over, her terror at her own power giving way to horror over Maleficent’s potential. _She said she couldn’t -_

_She said she doesn’t have powers -_

But if the phantom had found her heart -

Maleficent flung a ball of dark fire at the young master with a terrifying screech, the massive size of the magic all but ensuring it would hit him dead-on. But, somehow, he was faster. Not to block it - not to deflect it -

But to stop time completely.

Aqua flinched, trying to fight off the stopga spell the young master had somehow cast. Her own skill in time magic gave her just enough awareness to see him easily dodge the spell and calmly approach them. He lazily held his Keyblade - a much different one from that of the Xehanort Aqua knew, blue and black instead of black and silver, with a clock design at its tip - by his side, staring right at her. _He knows I’m resisting,_ she realized. It was a game to him – a joke. Just like the horrible thing that he had done to Maleficent – or...or perhaps what he had yet to do? If this was a younger version of Xehanort, did that mean that – that Xehanort could time travel? Aqua’s heart hammered faster. Was Xehanort truly that powerful?

Time unfroze, and the fire flew back, missing Xehanort completely. Maleficent leapt towards him as Aqua made to stop her, but was too late, again. But this time, Xehanort easily side-stepped her. He gazed at her, bored, as Aqua stood frozen, unsure of what to do. To strike him and put the others in danger – and possibly awaken the darkness within her – or to allow him continue to torture Maleficent like this.

“I suppose that I have done something to you,” Xehanort intoned as the fairy adjusted herself, preparing her next attack. “Though from when, I cannot say. But you are not my concern right now.”

“You fiend!” Maleficent roared. “You took everything from me!”

“Did I?” Xehanort smirked. “It seems you still have your life.”

“You fucking monster!” Aqua spat, stepping forward.

“Hmm. Be careful, Master,” he warned. “The last time you fought us, you nearly gave in. Or…perhaps that’s what you want. An excuse to lose yourself to the darkness.”

“An excuse to kill you!” Maleficent roared, her nails turning to claws as darkness continued swirling around her. She flew at Xehanort again, but the man batted her away, toying with her.

Aqua couldn’t take it anymore. She drew her Keyblade back –

And before she could move forward, Kairi, Riku, and Axel leapt past her, having taken it as the signal to attack. Xehanort – for all his prowess – couldn’t battle five enemies at once, and his earlier stunt with time magic had sapped the energy he needed to use it again. Riku swung for his head, Xehanort again dodging just in time to deflect a strike from Axel. Kairi leapt into the air above him, Destiny’s Embrace drawn high above her head, and just as she made to land a blow, Aqua burst through a portal behind Xehanort, ready to slash at his back with both her weapons.

A cloud of dust gathered around the two women and their targets, obscuring everyone’s view. Maleficent held herself back, Riku and Axel regrouping on Xehanort’s sides while Kairi and Aqua struggled against whatever defense he had summoned in front and behind him. But as the dust cleared – as Aqua could clearly see the golden eyes gleaming with wicked amusement in front of her – Aqua’s heart fell further into her stomach, a sharp pain assaulting her.

Golden eyes.

White hair.

A face that had never done anything but smile at her turned in an upward sneer. A Keyblade that was once a sign of friendship. A body manipulated by the strings Xehanort had attached to it through his wicked magic.

While Terra’s body loomed on the other side of Xehanort, blocking Kairi’s strike, Ven’s face emerged from the dust before Aqua. And it broke her heart completely.

***

Riku stood stunned, his mouth agape at the sight before him. He knew these figures who had emerged from the darkness – he had seen one before, long ago, and the other – but how could it be Roxas-?

“Shit!” Axel ran forward as Aqua collapsed to the ground. Kairi’s eyes went wide in fear and she quickly summoned a barrier as Terra-Xehanort counter-slashed at her. The defensive magic worked, giving Kairi the split second she needed to leap to Riku’s side. Riku’s hand trembled, his grip on Braveheart unsteady as Terra-Xehanort leered at him. Axel blocked whatever strike Roxas - or whoever it was - was about to make, grabbing Aqua in a fireman’s carry after deflecting it and leaping backwards.

_The King._

They’d left him open, and Riku and Kairi both realized it at the same time. Riku burst through the air, dashing through the darkness. Terra-Xehanort blocked his path, but not before Kairi’s magic distracted him, leaving Riku just enough time to rush to his friend’s side –

But Xehanort beat him there first, kicking Vexen to the side and standing over the King’s body, his Keyblade pointed downward at his still-beating heart.

“Ah,” he said, surveying the field. Riku stood before him, paralyzed with indecision; Kairi backed away from Terra-Xehanort, her eyes wide as the man loomed over her.

“Is that…that can’t be you, Roxas!” Axel called, still shouldering Aqua’s unconscious body. Riku dared a look back, seeing the fear that lined the man’s features. _He’s wide open for an attack,_ Riku realized. He wouldn’t be able to defend himself and Aqua at the same time – not from –

“You’re correct,” Xehanort drawled. “That would be Ventus.”

“No!”

“How?!” Axel’s face went white, eyes wide as Ventus leered at him, holding Wayward Wind in his signature backhand grip. “Nobody knew where he was!”

“You really should have come to rescue Aqua sooner, Riku,” Xehanort said, his voice growing more mocking with each word. “And now, because you were late, you’re all doomed.”

“However.” Terra-Xehanort’s deep, dark voice echoed in the sudden silence of the realm around them. “Perhaps there is still hope for each of you to escape with your life.”

“But not much.”

Ventus’s voice was distorted, caught between his own voice, Xehanort’s, and Vanitas’s, at once happy, furious, and mocking. Like Terra, he wore his normal outfit, not clothed in Vanitas’s usual uniform. His hair had the exact same style as before, but now, it was stark silver, the same as Terra-Xehanort’s. Riku clenched his teeth, losing hope fast. They beat us, he realized. They had been so focused on waiting for the right time to rescue Aqua – for Sora to regain the Power of Waking – that they had lost Ventus to them. _It’s all my fault._ He was a Keyblade Master – he should’ve fought to save her sooner, the second they had found out where she was.

“What are you assholes playing at?” Axel shouted.

“A test,” Xehanort proclaimed. “You have gathered your guardians. Roxas and Xion stand awake in the Realm of Light-” at this Riku’s heart skipped a beat, leaping into his throat – “and though your King lies defeated, you still number seven.”

“So, it is time to test the strength of your bond,” Terra-Xehanort continued. “Can you truly claim to be guardians-”

“-or are you false protectors of light,” Ventus finished.

“Let Mickey go,” Riku ordered weakly, ignoring their riddle.

“Oh, I intend to.” Xehanort smirked, leaning down. “You really should thank me. I plan to save your dear King’s life.”

“You can’t take him!”

“I will destroy all of you fiends if it is the last thing I do!” Maleficent roared.

“Your test is rather simple,” Xehanort continued, ignoring Maleficent’s threat. “Defeat the enemies-”

“Find your King-”

“-and save the Princess.”

_Princess._

“Kairi!”

Riku spun, desperate to protect Kairi from whatever Xehanort was plotting –

But Terra-Xehanort had disappeared. Riku dove forward and saw out of the corner of his eye that Xehanort had tricked him once again. Terra-Xehanort appeared behind Maleficent, the Guardian looming behind him. It reached its massive arms forward and grabbed the fairy, lifting her off the ground. The fury that had stirred her once dormant heart had also done away with the defense the realm had granted her.

“No!”

A light flashed through the realm, and suddenly, the Realm of Darkness began to twist before them. Riku reached for Kairi’s hand, his fingers just barely grasping hers just as a tornado began to brew around them. The wind cut them all sharply. Axel threw Aqua’s body to the ground, spreading himself over her as a shield as Terra-Xehanort disappeared into the darkness with Maleficent. Ventus’s eyes shined through the dark, his laugh mocking them all. The realm began to distort, splitting in two, the land and water and air around them disappearing into nothingness.

“Axel!” Kairi shouted, reaching for him – but Riku pulled her back, not able to lose her again. Quickly, Axel and Aqua faded from sight, and soon, Ventus did too. Riku pulled Kairi into his arms, bringing them to the ground for safety, eyes shut tightly as the wind roared even harder, the realm itself being destroyed before them.

When the wind finally died, Riku shifted. He could feel…the sun on his cheek?

In the distance, he heard Xehanort’s voice. “Your test begins now.”


End file.
